Cheshire Observer

PEACEFUL END. I We deeply regret to announce that Her Majesty the Queen passed away at half-past six j on Tuesday evening. B  The following is the official bulletin I 8 I conveying the sad news;- t ? Osborne House, Jan. 22, 6.45. Her Majesty the Queen breathed 111 I her last at 6.30 p.m., surrounded by her children and grandchildren. (Signed) JAMES REID, M.D. R. DOUGLAS POWELL, M.D. THOMAS BARLOW, M.D. The following messages were sent on Tuesday afternoon by the Prince of Wales to the Lord J Mayor of London:- Hj Osborne, 4 p.m. B My painful duty obliges me to inform you j that the life of the beloved Queen is in the greatest danger. ALBEST EDWARD. M Osborne, 6.45 p.m. « My beloved Mother, the Queen, has just passed away, surrounded by her children and | grandchildren. i (Signed) fi ALBERT EDWARD. | The official announcements issued on Tuesday at Osborne House prior to the final one were as follow :— n Osborne House, Jan. 22,1901, 8 a.m. I The Queen this morning shews signs of J diminishing strength, and Her Majesty's I condition again assumes a more serious aspect.—(Signed) R JAMES REID, M.D. 3 R. DOUGLAS POWELL. M.D. I THOS. BARLOW, M.D. G Osborne, Twelve o'clock. i There is no change for the worse in thel Queen's condition since this morning's J bulletin. Her Majesty has reconid the j several members of the Royal family who are,l- here. The Queen is now asleep.-(Signed) 8 JAS. REID, M.D. E R. DOUGLAS POWELL, M.D. ■ THOMAS BARLOW, M.D. § Osborne, 4 p.m. ra The Queen is slowly sinking.—(Signed) | JAB. REID, M.D. g R. DOUGLAS POWELL, M.D. | THOMAS BABLOW, M.D. & THE APPROACH OF THE ILLNESS. I A correspondent of the "Westminster Gazette"? on Mondav, referring to the Queen's illness,& said :—? For some weeks the Queen's loss of J appetite has occasioned anxiety in the family circle. Her Majesty has hitherto always retained 1 a healthy desire for food at stated intervals--a fact which was largely due to her open-air exer- cise. But since November it has been noticed that ? she had little interest in her usual meals, and this, added to attacks of sleeplessness, occasioned her J physician a good deal of anxiety. Of course people of over eighty years of age do not, as a rule, eat heartily or with much relish, but those J about the Court have grown so accustomed to a look on the Queen as abnormal that any sign of distaste for food and inability to sleep was re- garded much more seriously than in the case of an ordinary patient. Then lately her Majesty has shewn a weariness which has prevented those about her from troubling her with any but the a most important State documents. The Queen was w not very well when Earl Roberts first visited her, and couid only receive him for a few minutes. This was the reason for the Commander-in-Chief's second visit to Osborne. The war's prolongation, has been a constant subject of conversation with t the Queen, and her tears have flowed very freely j! on hearing of the deaths of so many gallant officers whom she knew. Only the other day she g commanded quite a long letter of a personal tj nature to be written to the widow of a soldier, and in it she said how grieved she was that the j Jz war still dragged on. At first the war as a theme of conversation was strictly tabooed at the Royal table, but the Queen took so deep an 1 interest in it that it became impossible to be silent. <B THE CLOSING SCENE. i H Of the last sad scene of all air Arthur Bigge has communicated some few intensely! interesting details. Her Majesty enjoyedl many intervals of consciousness during the day, when she lovingly recognised those members of! her grief-stricken family who rendered her the gentle offices that she needed. All who werei at Osborne were continuously within close call,! and the German Emperor, who took a brief; stroll in the grounds during the afternoon,! was never more than 200 yards from the house. j About five o'clock it became evident that ] the beloved ruler's strength was fast diminish- ] ing, and in the bedchamber there were assembled the Prince of Wales, with his gracious and beautiful Consort; the Duke of j York, with the Duchess, who arrived just in j time to see the last hours of one to whom she was bound by double ties of blood and love; the Emperor William, representing also his noble mother, whose long illness was one of the last sorrows in that life which had known so many ] griefs; the Princess Christian, with her husband, Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, so constantly the bright and loving companion of her august grandmother; the Duchess of J SaEe-Coburg, to whom the scene must have been a piteous reminder of her j own great sorrow when her beloved husband was called away last August; ] Princess Louise Duchess of Argyll, with the j Duke of Argyll; the Duke of Connaught, who especially embodied to the Queen that Army of whom she was ever so proud, the Duchess, and their son and daughters Princess ] Louis of Battenberg, daughter of her own well- i s beloved daughter, Princess Alice, with herl husband and lastly Princess Henry of Batten-I berg, the life-long companion of her mother. The Queen was auSering no pain, and was in almost a sleep, so calm, so peaceful was she as ] the last gentle breaths were drawn. Near by! stood the Bishop of Winchester, Chaplain of j the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and ] though it is not actually mentioned that any audible prayers were recited, there was from him at least the commendation to the Divine Mercy of her who essentially in her life and f conversation was the Defender of the Faith. At half-past six came the end of the magnificent life so dear to a world-wide Empire, and with the sorrowing mourners of her family her | people mingle their tears in the greatest grief that the nation has ever known. I The following appeared in the Court || Circular" on Wednesday night:— Osborne, January 23. During the last moments of her Majesty the Bishop of Winchester and the Rev. Clement Smith read special prayers in the Queen's room, and later in the evening the Bishop conducted a short service in the Queen's death chamber, at which all the members of the Royal Family at Osborne were present. THE LAST- RALLY. I It was feared that the Queen was dying about j nine o'clock in the morning. Carriages were sent to Osborne Cottage and the Rectory to bring all the princes and princesses and the Bishop of Winchester to the bedside. It seemed very, very near the end; so near that it was feared they could not arrive in time. But when things seemed at the worst the Queen, in one 0 of the rallies due to her wonderful constitution, opened her eyes, recognised the Prince of Wales, the Princess, and the Kaiser, and asked to aee one of her faithful servants, a member of the household. He hastened to the room, but before he got there the Queen had passed into a fitful sleep. The physicians, however, could give no hope, and nobody left the house. The aands were slowly trickling out, and nobody -could say at what moment they would be exhausted; but four o'clock marked the beginning of the end. Again the family were summoned, and this time the relapse had no following rally. The end was calm and peaceful. The Queen died like the setting of tho smn. 9 THE CAUSE OF DEATH. A.. I I ?, I The "Lancet" states that the death ot tnej Queen was due to cerebral failure. Transientj but recurring symptoms of apathy and torpor, j with aphasic indications, gave great uneasiness j to her physician a few days before the final mmiitmmwmmFrF-mT-m illness. From Saturday, January 19, until thei end these symptoms grew steadily graver, but? the heart's action was maintained throughout,l and the temperature was normal. Within a? few minutes of death the Queen recognised several members of her family. ft IN THE DEATH CHAMBER. ? I The slow boom of cannon, flags at half-mast, the drawn blinds of private dwellings, black ?shutters up in the windows of every mart- £ these were some of the signs of sorrow in the vicinity of Osborne on Wednesday. Over the Royal residence itself the nag indicated the |t loss the house and the nation had sustained,? and the shipping in the Solent all evidence ot mourning, the guardship? Australia and the Royal yachts lying in th-o4 Channel displaying at their bows the whital ensign at half-mast and at the stern the Union Jj Jack in like position. It was a grey, sad-look-i ing morning, which seemed to renect? c universal sorrow. The scene on Wednes-? day in the death chamber at Osborne? is one which will long remain as a? precious recollection in the memory of those £ who had the privilege of witnessing it. There? were, besides the high personages in the house- hold, the servants, the tenants on the Osborne estate, and the officers of the Royal yachts. The. ( Queen lay on the bed in the room where she | died. Over the coverlet were strewn snowdrops a and lilies of the valley and a few green 8prays- tokens which lay over the body of Prince Alberta Victor at Sandrmgham. It was not difficult to? detect the hand ot the Princess of Wales in this j arrangement. The hands of the late Queen Iwere folded over the chest, and the head leaned J somewhat to the right. Over the face had been drawn a white veil of the thinnest texture,! through which the features were plainly dis- jS cernible. Perfect peace was imprinted on the countenance, which, as white as marble, like the hands, shewed no trace of suffering. Thej illness had left no shrinking, and even the? appearance of extreme age had gone. The4 nurses and the two Indian attendants were? (there. The visitors glided softly into the room,\ and there was no talk to disturb the solemn stillness which reigned in the death-chamber. ■ I UNIVERSAL SORROW. I  General gloom prevailed throughout tne|] ?metropolis on Tuesday, which was intensified tenfold when the sad news came that all was j Iover. Every theatre and place of entertainment at once closed its doors, and the mournful theme| ?was on everybody's lips. In the east as in the gwest of London the people spoke in huahed? ?voices of the good Qn«en they had lost, w hse; ?like they would never see again. And the grief? ?which brooded over London, dulling the Keen v ,edge of business and hushing the voice of gaiety, ihung heavily over the United Kingdom, and a ?indeed, over all the world-wide dominions which I'paid tne Queen a willing reverence. From every city, town, and hamlet comes the same word of^x heartfelt sorrow, the same sense of sharp,? personal loss. A muffled peal was rUng |j ?at St. Paul's Cathedral to announce' I to the citizens of London the death, |of her Majesty, and the minute bells of many j| ?scores of churches took up the doleful tidinga. ?In a" the capitals of Europe the news of tne j g Queen's deatn was received with every manifes- 3 tati.on of public sorrow. The Austrian Emperor at once sent messages of condolence to the King lof England, the German Emperor and the Em- | ?peror of Russia, and ordered the Austrian Court ?to go into mourning for four weeks. M. Loubat ?the President of the French Republic, who on I |Monday had forwarded to the Prince of Wales jj his sympathy at the Queen's illness, again tele- )j Igrapiied his condolence to the King of England. f Mr. McKinley immediately sent a message to p Ithe King, expressing his profound sorrow and g sincere sympathy at the loss England has sus-? tained through the death of the venerable and j! ?illustrious Sovereign who had won the affec- S hion of the world, ihe American Senate passed ?a resolution of condolence, and the Secretary B of 6tata, Mr. Hay, despatched to Lord Laus g downe a similar telegram of regret. Through- [out the United States there is universal sorrow. ?The chaplains of the Senate and the House of |l ?Representatives, in their opening prayerd on ^Monday, made touching reference to the Istricken monarch. EspecWly sympathetic waa? ithe prayer of Dr. Milburn, tne blind chaplain lof the enate, who said:—With a multitude? ? which no man can number, we come wita tre-S jmendous anxiety and the profoundest a?o to ?the bedside of the great and good Queen who ?lies on the border of two worlds. Living [for more than three-score years in f t" that fierce light which beats upon a throne," by her conduct and characters (she has won not only the loyalty of ihor own people, but the veneration ana homage jO of all true-hearted men and women around the tworld, and now, as it seems, she is to departs 'from earth crowned with the blessings and love 'of countless myriads of the human family. Ldt.. [Thy heavenly grace cheer and sustain her in this supreme hour. Likewise minister Thy tenderness and sympathy to all members of her ?bereaved family, and to the people of her realm, jwho feel as if their mother were departing from If them. We confide her, her chilaren, and her || people to the Almighty care and Providence ]! through Jesus Christ our Saviour. §) THE PRINCE'S THOUGHTFULNESS. | _u It is thoroughly in keeping with the habitual thoughtfulness ot the Prince of Wales, that h6 should, even at the moment of his most grievous ja anxiety, have had the consideration to insist, as ne did emphatically, upon Lord Salisbury |n being spared the mental anguish which so sad fg an errand as a journey to Osoorne would havejjj imposed upon the Premier, whose ferventK personal attachment to ner majesty ne Knew j better than anyone, and be saved the risk of, the passage in wintry weather. His Royal Highness therefore expressed a wish indis-j tinguishable from a command, that Mr.! I Batiour should represent the Prime Minister, on this most mournful occasion. Mr'f Balfour, therefore, went down to Osborne j on Tuesday by a special train, in which the Duchess 01 York anu the three children of the] Duke and Duchess of Connaught also travelled. Mr Balfour stayed the night at Osborne. Prince Christian also reached Osborne during the day, while the Duke of Cambridge crosseu. to Dover from Calais and came to London, | whence he will proceed to the Isle of Wight. J There is a mourntul appropriateness in the tact j that the last public function performed by the Queen was tns message of blessing she des- f patched to the people of Australia upon the inauguration of tne Commonwealth; it was, as | events proved, a dying message from the l venerable Sovereign to the latest-born nationI which reverenced her benign sway. I A DUTIFUL GRANDSON. I Her Majesty s condition on Saturday was regarded as so serious that the Royal family were summoned to Osborne. The Prince of Wales, with his sister, Princess Louise, pro-, ceeded by special train to Portsmouth, and I crossed the Solent in the Royal yacht. The: Princess ot Wales, from Sandringham, followed LoCer. Princess Christian and Princess Henry of Battenberg were already by their mother's side. The German Emperor, with the Duke of I Connaught, left Berlin and crossed from Flushing, arriving at Charing Cross between aU: and seven on Monday evening. The Prince of Wales came from Osborne to meet his Majesty, who stayed the night at Buckingham' Palace. The German Emperor, the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, and the Duke of York left London at eight o'clock on Monday morning, and travelled to Osborne. The Emperor, on arrival, was admitted to the Queen's room, and it is said the' patient was able faintly to recognise him.! (Presently lie and others of the Royal party also; went for a walk, in the course of which they; visited the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home and had! some conversation with soldiers who had been engaged in tne war in South Africa. I HOPES AND FEARS. I a TOUCHING SCENES IN LONDON. I I Monday was a day of poignant suspense in, London, owing to the varying character of the; bulletins concerning the Queen's condition.' Though the prevailing opinion unmistakably was: that her Majesty lay at the door of death, people. appeared at intervals to entertain some hope They remembered that the Queen, though ex.J tremely old, was yet blessed with great recuperaJ tive powers. The principal places where bulletins were posted for the public information were' Marlborough House, Buckingham Palace, the! Horse Guards and the Mansion House. Many of? the clubs also put official bulletins in their windows' for passers-by to read. Newspaper offices and I private traders did likewise. In this way, to say, B nothing of the many editions of the evening papers published, the populace had never long to wait for the latest particulars. The scene at, th Mamion House was memorable for its quiet' solicitude. All day people passing stood to scanj the latest bulletin, written large on the notice-l board facing Queen Victoria-street, where he who runs may read. Thousands came thither ex-] pressly for the purpose. Never before were so many women and girls seen around the civic house.1 Their preponderating numbers bespoke the love the women of Isondon feel for her Majesty. Later in the evening the crowd changed its aspect, and increased in numbers. Workpeople came from the East End-men, women and children—drawn thither by devoted loyalty to her who has everj ruled the hearts of her poorest subjects. Every- body spoke in low tones. There was but one j theme—the stricken Queen. i Buckingham Palace and Marlborough House were besieged with callers till late in the even-1 ing. All the foreign Embassies sent messengers. ] A pathetic incident deeply moved more than one? bystander who observed it. An old blind man,' with the common desire for news, addressed a neighbour in the crowd, "Will you please to tell me' what it says; I'm blind." The bulletin in ques-j tion was a favourable one, registering a ''slight I rally." This was communicated to the old man, who raised his hat and said, "Thank God for that as he passed on. -r- 'T ..3f MAGISTERIAL REFERENCE AT | CHESTER. 1 The Mayor of Chester, who presided over a very full bench of magistrates at Chester £ Police Court on Wednesday morning, made a most fitting reference to the sad event. His Worship, who spoke under the influence of con- siderable emotion, said: We meet this morning ji under the shadow of perhaps the greatest j sorrow that the country has experienced during the past century. Our beloved Queen, who has been at death's door for some days, passed away last night surrounded by her children, and her death has been followed by the tears of her .Empire at large. It is not only a great national sorrow, but it is a great personal sorrow to each one of the people whom she loved so well, and [who loved her so well. During her I 4ong life and long reign, I think I may say without exaggeration, she was | certainly the greatest sovereign that ever l reigned, and I may say, humanly speaking, perhaps the greatest woman that ever lived. I Of course the Queen can never be lost to us. I Her memory and her example will remain with us, and we devoutly hope and pray | (that he who now succeeds her as King r of this great Empire will be enabled to follow in her footsteps. The Mayor added 1 4 that he was not in a position to make any | public announcement as to the funeral, or what would take place in consequence of the Queen's ? death. There would, of course, be a memorial .service at which he hoped most of the citizens would attend. The previous night he ventured, i in the name of the citizens, to express to the {Royal Family the profound grief with which [Chester heard of the loss which had fallen upon the country and the Empire, and he received ithe following acknowledgment from Sir Arthur Bige The Royal Family thank the City of [Chester for the kind message received." I REFERENCE AT CHESTER CATHEDRAL. I I I-, s t At the openmg ot hiS sermon at unester ^atne-i dral on Sunday morning, Archdeacon Barber made ] feeling reference to the Queen. He said: "May tgod save her for some years yet to her loving 'and loyal subjects. May He grant to her renewed health and vigour and relieve her of all anxiety, domestic and national, which now weighs her" • down. She has ever set a high example of J Christian sympathy, and never more so than r during the past year, when, in spite of her own l personal troubles and losses, she has truly felt fori her brave soldiers and sincerely mourned with' those who had fallen in the nation's cause." ?Archdeacon Barber also referred to the Queen's* ,keen sense of the loss the Church and nation hadj sustained by the death of the Bishop of London.—? ;A touching reference was also made by the Rev." ?J. Wylde, M.A., who was the preacher at the? evening service at the Cathedral. At the con- jg elusion of the morning service at the Cathedral on| Wednesday morning, the assistant organist (Mr.i T. J. Hughes) played the Dead March. B I CHESHIRE HUNT'S REGRET. I I Presiding on Wednesday over a largely-| | attended meeting of Cheshire hunting gentle-? 'men at the Crewe Arms Hotel, Crewe, Colonel? ;Dixon, of Astle Hall, referred to the death of? her Majesty Queen Victoria, and moved that al ?resolution be recorded on the minutes of tbe? 'Cheshire Hunt, expressing their deep sense of| reret.-Colonel Piers Egerton Warburton | [seconded the motion, which was carried in | silence. » I SOCIAL FUNCTIONS POSTPONED. I I A meeting of the committee of the Chester .Caledonian Association was held at eight ^o'clock on Tuesday evening to consider the advisability of abandoning the approaching [Burns anniversary dinner, in view of the seriouj3 f condition of the Queen's health. The news of iher Majesty's death reached the city about ¡half an hour before the meeting commenced, and it was unanimously resolved to abandon the | 'dinner, which had been fixed for yesterday (Friday) at the Pied Bull Hotel. On the emotion of the president (Mr. D. Robertson) seconded by Mr. G. Miller, the following resolu- £ 'tion was passed in silence :—" The association [expresses its deep sorrow at the loss which the nation has sustained by the death of our beloved Queen, who during the course of her reign has l shewn an example of the highest virtue, and l 'given proof of the wisest forethought for the interests of her subjects." It was ordered that ,the resolution be entered on the minutes, and £ not, as erroneously stated in certain daily papers, that it be forwarded to the Royal Family. A meeting of the general committee of the | Chester Glee Club was being held on Tuesday night, presided over by the president (Mr. A. L. Williams) when the news came that our beloved Queen had passed away, and it was at once de- cided that the club's smoking concert fixed for January 29th, and the soiree fixed for February 5th, should be postponed. B At the suggestion of Mr. James Tomkinson, M.P., a Liberal meeting and ball which were to have been held at Nantwich were postponed at the last moment in consequence of the Queen's l death. A public meeting in support of the candida- ture of Mr. J. D. Siddall for a seat on the Town Council, which was convened for Tuesday evening, was postponed on account of the death of the Queen, the tidings of which were received by the promoters but a few minutes before the time fixed for the meeting. A few people had assembled at the Congregational R School, Handbridge, in expectation that the meeting would be held. The candidate appeared on the platform, accompanied by Mr. F. F. Brown (who took the chair), Mr. S. Moss, M.P., Mr. W. F. J. Shepheard, Mr. Owen Roberts, I Mr. J. Williamson, Mr. A. W. Lucas, &c. The Chairman, addressing the small gather- ing, said: You have all heard the sorrowful news of the death of our great Queen. This is not the time to speak of her. We think that the right thing is merely to propose that this meeting be adjourned, and that the resolution be passed in silence. | Mr. Siddall: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentle-j men. It is difficult to find words to control one's' jfeelings when one announces such a national' calamity as the death of our beloved Queen;' and without any words, if you will allow me, I will second the proposition the chairman has1 made. I a Mr. Moss endorsed the proposition. Owing to the sad circumstances under which they met that night it would not be fitting and proper, or even loyal, that they should hold the meeting.' He thought that on such an occasion they could I best express their sympathy and regret at what i I had happened that night by passing the resolu- tion and adjourning the meeting. Mr. Shepheard also supported the proposition, and it was carried.

I DISTRICT REFERENCES. I a NESTON. During the morning and evening services ati I the parish church special prayer was offered for the Queen, and previous to his sermon in the morning, Canon Turner said:—We have j prayed to-day, and I am sure very earnestly, 1 for our beloved Queen that she may be speedily j restored to her accustomed health. Let us also] remember her in our private prayers, and pray? |God that a life so valuable to the nation may ?be still further prolonged, if it be His gracious!I Swill. I MALPAS. R Un Sunday, at the pansh cnurch, special prayers? ?were offered for the recovery of her Majesty, and I Ithe National Anthem was sung at the close of thei service. I CHOLMONDELEY. I I Special prayers were offered on Sunday at St. 3 IWenefrede's Church, Bickley, and at Cholmon- ] deley Chapel, on behalf of her Majesty the Queen. 1 SAUGHALL.  The services at All Saints' Church on Sunday? were of an especially solemn nature. The? prayers of the congregation were asked for the' ?recovery of Her Gracious Majesty Queenj II Victoria from her present illness, and thej National Anthem was played as an act of thej same devotion. 3 MID-CHESHIRE. I Northwich, Winsford, Middlewich, and the whole of Mid Cheshire have been plunged into j 'gloom' by the death of her Majesty. The Northwich Urban Council were sitting, having [commenced the meeting with God Save the Queen," when the news was received. The | chairman made most touching references, and the meeting was immediately adjourned. The! Middlewich Charity Ball, Hartford Volunteers' Dinner, and the Marston Soiree have been | postponed indefinitely. Each Mid-Cheshire|i town has forwarded messages of condolence.

I ROYAL VISITS TO CHESTER I IN BYE-GONE DAYS. 1 ) The following is a chronological list of Royal visits to Chester from the year 635 up to 1832, reproduced from the "Courant" of October 23rd, 1832, and October 6th, 1852:— ■ 635.-Cadwal, the son of Cadwan, was crowned King of Britain in the city of Chester; he | S reigned sixty-one years. -.839.-Ethelwolf was crowned here "in the most MS I royal manner." tI895.-Alfred the Great, it is to be presumed, was fi I here in this year, the Danes being driven from the city by him after being "constrained to | eat up horses." M ^908.—It is more than probable that Queen Ethel- I fleda was here in this year, and gave her I | instructions upon the repair and extension offfl J the City Walls. « 973.-Klng Edgar was here, and was rowed from I his Palace to St. John's in his barge upon the y Dee by eight tributary kings. (1066.-Harold, after the Battle of Hastings, which I happened on the 14th of October in this year, is ■ said to have taken up his abode in an 3 anchorite's cell in this city, where, it is tra- f f di tionally alleged, he spent the remainder of his I days. j I 1069.-Witliam the Conqueror was here. S-v ,1110.-Henry the First at Chester. 41156.-Henry the Second passed through this city' Oc with his army on their way to Wales. 1157.-Henry the Second at Chester with his army |* i on his march for the conquest of Wales, and encamped at Saltney. ift .1159.-Henry the Second had an interview here !with King Malcolm of Scotland, who made a ? considerable cession of territory to the English? Monarch on the occasion. ?! ? ?1211.—King John was at Chester. gj 1256.-Prinee Edward was here. He stayed three?" I days, and received the homage of the Cheshire J and Welsh nobility. ? ?1257.—Henry III. summoned his nobility to attend' him with their vassals at Chester.  £ | 1276.—Edward I. was here on his way againstj?$: 3 Llewellyn Prince of Wales. f 1277.-Edward 1. again here on his way tok, Rhuddan, and he ordered that all in Cheshire j | who could spend £ 20 a year should be made!# Knights! !| 1282.—Edward 1. again here, remained from 6th June to the 4th July. f 1283.-Edward and his Queen here, they heardjj mass in the Cathedral and presented the monks'? with an altar-cloth upon the occasion. ? 1284.-Edward I. again here four days in Sep-^ tember. ? !1294.-Edward I. passed through Chester toqueU? Madoc's rebellion. j 1300.—Edward of Carnarvon, the first Prince of. I Wales, received the homage of the Welsh to I the sovereignty of England in the Castle ofthist city. R ;1312.-King Edward II. came to Chester to meet, li I his favourite, Piers Gaveston, on his return ) from banishment to Ireland. 1353.—Edward the Black Prince appeared here at^ the head of an armed force, to protect the Justices, who were obstructed in the per a formance of their duties, on account of the dearness of provisions. i ?1394.-Richard II. came here on his way to Ire-?- land. fi !1397.-Ricbard II. visited Chester. EP il399.—Richard II. brought here a prisoner*? t from Flint Castle. R ?1455.-Margaret, Queen of Henry VI., visited 1 Chester "upon progresse with many lordes and? ladyes, and was most graciously received by the Maior and citizens." Bf 1459.—Henry VI. wi* the Queen and her son? I Edward paid a visit to this city, and as a? tribute of respect to those gentlemen of the? county who were attached to tier cause, she« presented them with small silver swans. w 1475.-Edward, Prince of Wales, son of Edward? IV., being only four years old, was brought here^ and conveyed to the Castle in great pomp, for jg the gratification of the citizens. t? 1493.-Henr? VII. and his Queen came here. fji 1494.-Henry VII. at Chester and Hawar?ienl Castle for the amusement of stag-hunting. & 1498.-Prince Arthur, eldest son of Henry VII.? visited this city by desire of his father. In his 3! presence was performed at the Abbey Gate, the'§: "Assumption of our Ladye." The Prince mado? the Mayor, Richard Goodman, an Esquire. His? Royal Highness came on the 4th of August, and? left on the 19th of September. 1616.—James I. here. He was received with the greatest magnificence. The Mayor, Edward Button, presented his Majesty with a double- gilt silver cup, in which were 100 jacobins of gold. Mr. Button declined the honour of knighthood.. j 1617.-James 1. visited Chester, with great pomp heard an anthem sung at the Cathedral," and dined at a sumptuous banquet prepared by the' citizens, the order of Knighthood being offered to the Mayor, but was refused by the same." 1642.-Charles 1st entered Chester, Wrexham, and Shrewsbury in state. ) 1645.—Charles 1st beheld the disastrous Battle of Rowton Moor from the Walls of Chester, and fled into North Wales. 1687.—James II. held a court at Shrewsbury, visited Chester, and afterwards went to "heal and dine" at Holywell. 1819.—Prince Leopold, afterwards King of; Belgium, visited Chester and North Wales. i 1832.-The Princess Victoria (afterwards Queen of England) visited Shrewsbury and North Wales,! and returned home by way of Chester, where' she opened the Grosvenor Bridge amid generali rejoicings and every possible demonstration of loyalty. t I HER FIRST VISIT. p B There is probably only a small band oi SCestrians still alive who have lived throughout the Queen's record reign and can remember) even dimly the great doings on the occasion of j the visit of the young Princess Victoria to this neighbourhood. The Courant" file of Tuesday,7 October 25rd, 1832, devotes a page to the story of jubilation. Accompanying the I-Iriincers., Victoria was the Duchess of Kent, and theid Royal Highnesses were the guests of the). Marquis of Westminster from Monday tillj j Friday morning. The Royal party hadj previously stayed at Plas Newydd, and atj various points of their journey to Chester they a were accorded a most loyal welcome. They were escorted by a troop of Denbjghshire Cavalry to Kinmel Park, where they were enter- tained at luncheon by the Earl of Dinorben, ,,4 and they were welcomed on the borders of Flintshire by Sir John Williams, Bart., of? Boddelwyddan. At St. Asaph and Holywell the Royal party were accorded public recep tions, and at Hawarden Castle their Royal!? Highnesses were received by the Rev. and Hon.? George Neville and Lady Charlotte Neville, in? the absence of Sir Stephen Glynne. The "Courant" describes the arrival at Eaton as I follow:A few minutes before six in the evening, the Royal cortege approached the splendid residence of the Noble Marquis through"* the long avenue, and advanced into the lawn, amid the salute of the cavalry and the enthu.a siastic plaudits of a multitude of the tenantry and the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, who assembled on the occasion. The noble hostf and hostess met the royal visitors at the portal; the military band struck up God Save the Queen' as they alighted from the carriages,?! and the Royal Standard of England was hoisted4 at the top of the mansion in the room of the Union Jack which usually floats in the1 breeze during the residence of the family at Eaton." The report goes on to state that a select party of eighteen sat down | to dinner at seven o'clock. The Royal party consisted of H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, Lady? Catherine Jenkinson and Sir John Conroy, Lord'? IBagot, the Hon. Mr. Bagot, Sir Philip and Lady? Grey-Egerton, Mr. G. Brooke, and the Rev. Mr.» Aychbown. The members of the family present? were the Marquis and Marchioness, the Countess | of Wilton, Earl and Countess Grosvenor aad? Lord Robert Grosvenor. The young Princess? was too much fatigued by her journey to joinjj the dinner party, and she therefore dined in a separate apartment with the Baroness Litaen. '| When it became known that their Royal Highnesses would visit Chester, a meeting of 3 influential ditizens was convened at the Pentice ? [Court to determine upon the best mode of anifesting the attachment of this ancient and l loyal city to the House of Brunswick and l particularly to the Royal visitors. The Mayor l (presided and took occasion to inform thE- [meeting that, although contrary to the wish of the inhabitants of this ancient city, who ari- l ever anxious to pay becoming homage to the members of the Royal family, it was the expre-s wish and desire of the Duchess and her lovel3 0 Ward to visit Chester, view its antiquities and! other attractive objects in as great privacy as ossible. The meeting received this announce- i ent with feelings of regret, but agreed toÅ xpress their sentiments in a dutiful and loyal | address, which was adopted." Accordingly on i. the Tuesday at eleven in the forenoon fitteen carriages containing the civic body proceededl down Bridge-street on their way to where they arrived about noon. On the Mayor entering the great Hall, the Yeomanry on duty as a Guard of Honour, under the command of Captain Lord Robert j Grosvenor, in full uniform, presented arms and did not 'recover' until the whole body had' passed into the ante-room. Here they were; et by aldermen, the Marquis of Westminster, 1 and Earl Grosvenor in their Civic Robes, by? hom they were conducted into the presence of ? the Duchess, the Princess and attendants, and the ladies of the family in the state drawing-? room." Her Royal Highness," says the? ^observant reporter, was plainly attired and 10@k6d in remarkably good health. The young? Prince8s stood by her side clad in white, ber hair combed back and plainly adjusted be?ind?? ears." The Recorder read to their Royal? Higbnesses the following address:- |j To Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent. May it please your Royal Highness,—We, the' Mayor, Reorder, Aldermen, Sheriffs, aud Common 'Council of the city of Chester, most humbly beg' leave to approach your Royal Highness, and your l 'illustrious daughter, the Princess Victoria, to offer .? 'our dutiful congratulations upon the arrival o? your Royal Highnesses in the vicinity of our ancient 'city and to express our anxious wish for the long? continued enjoyment by your Royal Highnesses of$ (health, and every blessing that Heaven can bestow.|] !We beg to assure your Royal Highnesses of our' | doyalty and devoted attachment to the House of? ?Brunswick, and to express the pride and satis- j| faction we feel in the opportunity now afforded us? of making tha.t assurance, in person, to member ä! !of that illustrious family so distinguished as your? Royal Highness and the Presumptive Heiress to the j| throne of these realms." fij | Her Royal Highness delivered the gracious reply:— Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen,-The Princess and|| myself are extremely sensible of the attention th.t.. leads you to come here, to convey to us, with so ?; much good feeling, your congratulations on our a arrival in the vicinity of your ancient city. It? shews your loyal attachment to the King, receivingi us, as members of his family, in this manner. Wei hope to be able to visit your ancient city to-morrow. I am naturally anxious to seize every opportunity? to bring under the Princess' observation those things that may tend to make her acquainted witha all that is interesting—your city is peculiarly so—? and to connect her with the country, by mixing with all classes in it, so as to identify herself with J| their interests. || The Marquis of Westminster having intro-? duced the Mayor, Mr. Alderman Larden, andP several others of the corporate body to Duchess of Kent, Lord Robert Grosvenor andj| Mr. Finchett Maddock presented the appended address from the citizens of Chester. The address was read by Lord Robert Grosvenor j| and read || To Her Royal Highness the D?c?e? of Kent.. May it please your Royal Highness,—We, inhabitants of the ancient and loyal City of Chester, gladly avail ourselves of your arrival in its vicinity, to offer to your Royal Highness and you illustrious daughter our dutiful homage and? respectful coagratulationa, and to t?&ttfy our d"ep sense of the amiable virtues and the shining excellencies by which you ha.ve always been dis-? tinguished as a wife and a mother. We beg also to ]f express our devoted attachment to the illustrious ft House of Brunswick; and if in the progress of time, and by permission of Divine Providence, your B Royal daughter should be called to the government s of these realms, we indulge the hope that, treading? in the steps of her ancestors, she will sustain p abroad the high destinies of this great nation, and || preserve at home, inviolate, those institutions^ which have been the admiration and example of k. surrounding countries. j? Her Royal Highness and the young Princess^ repeatedly bowed during the delivery of this& address, and her Royal Highness, "with con-? fsiderable emotion," delivered the following very fgracious reply :— ? Gentlemen,-I cannot sufficiently express to ?you how much the Princess and myself feel the ? sentiments conveyed to us from the inhabitants of the City of Cheater; we are deeply &live to them. ?Tbe inhabitants of Cheater, distinguished always ?for their loyalty to their king, seize this occasion ?to evince it, by this attention to us as members of ?his family. To-morrow, I trust, we shall be able to ?visit your city, the inhabitants of which have ?already a claim upon our warm feelings, which will ?tend to connrm my most anxious desire, that the ?Princess should be so brought up as to identify £ herself with aH classes in this great and free country; for the usefulness and happiness of her ? ? future life, if it be spared, must depend upon her doing so." I THE OPENING OF THE BRIDGE. a Wednesday was a red-letter day in the annals jfof the city, for then their Royal Highnesses drove into Chester, and Princess Victoria opened; the Grosvenor Bridge. The "Courant" des-I cribing the occasion says:—"Nothing could: texceed the ardour with which the inhabitants' Swelcomed the event. Many of the tradesmen closed their shops entirely, and most of the! chouses were decorated with some emblem of; 61oyalty. The bells rang merrily, the cannon; "roarod lustily, and hundreds of colours and flags ( awitb appropriate devices were to be seen floating; in the air. The exterior of the Castlo • wasj iprettily embellished, and over the centre of the; new bridge was erected a magnificent triumphal jiarch surmounted by a crown and the royal arms- ÂMr. Trubshaw, the builder, had taken care to; render the passage over the bridge as easy as, ppossible in its present unfinished state and the! |battlements were secured in such a manner as' ito prevent the possibility of accidents. At 12 o'clock, the garrison, part of the 18th Royal jjlrish, were drawn up in the Castle-yard, and at, one o'clock the cavalcade approached under a, Royal salute of 21 guns. Earl Grosvenor and '¡Lord Robert Grosvenor led the way on horse-j back, followed by Mr. Wilbraham, M.P., and' Lady Anne Wilbraham, in one carriage; Lord! Bagot and family in another Sir John Conroy, the Baroness Litzen, Lady Catherine Jenkinson, members of the Royal suite, in a third carriage;, Countess Grosvenor and the Countess of Wilton ?in a fourth; and last came a coach and six, containing the illustrious visitors, and the | Marq uie and Marchioness of Westminster? 4ldrivon by Mr. Robert Roberts, the State coacb- I man at Eaton. When the carriage of the Royal v isitors bad arrived at the triumphal arch, the| Royal standard was raised on its summit; and the right Worshipful the Mayor presented him- | ,self to the visitors to know their pleasure as to;i the naming of the bridge. The Princess replied by reading a paper which she held in her band, containing the following words:— U 5 I seise the occasion of our being the first persons l ,to pass over this magnificent Bridge to lend myself., to the feeling that prevails, and to name it í k" Grosvenor Bridge." 1 fi The cavalcade then passed over, and entered ] the Castle Yard amid the salute of the military, and enthusiastic plaudits of a most repectablej 'and perhaps the most numerous assemblage of j persons ever congregated within the city walls. ,.rho Royal party alighted, and entered the !magnificent Court of Justice in the Shire Hall,! [through the Grand Jury Room. They nextj ivisited the County Gaol, and were shewn over! ithe principal parts of this well-regulated establishment by Mr. Dunstan, the Constable iwitli whom the Duchess was pleased tol ileave X25, for the benefit of the poor | debtors." Afterwards the royal cortege pro- :ceeded via Nicholas-street and W terga.testreet) ito the Cathedral. The Lord Bishop, the Rev. iprebendary Blomfield, the Rev. Chaucellor, jRaikes, the Rev. Jos. Eaton, precentor, and l several other dignitaries met them at the western door. In the Chapter House the Lord Bishop read an address on behalf of the Dean and Chapter and the clergy of the city and neighbourhood. Her Royal Highness read a| gracious reply, after which the Marquis of Westminster presented several of the clergy to their Royal Highnesses. Before the Duchess; left the city she was graciously pleased tos! present the Chester Infirmary with the muni- ficient donation of 1100. On returning to Eaton, the Royal visitors^ attended the christening of the infant daughter of Lord and Lady Robert Grosvenor, who was|| christened Victoria Charlotte-Victoria after? the Princess Victoria and Charlotte after the family name of the noble mother. Her Royalgjj Highness the Duchess of Kent," reads the? report, with great condescension and OOd' nature took from her own neck a superb gold? chain and locket and placed them on that of. Lady Robert, as a baptismal present for the young Christian." An address, expressing ardent and devoted regard was transmitted? from the Cambrian Society to Lord Roberta Grosvenor, who returned her Royal Highness'? gracious acknowledgment. There was a? picturesque scene at Eaton on Thursday, || owing to the presence of the members of the Society of Royal British Bowmen, who hold?* their meeting upon the lawn. In the evening? the Royal visitors attended a dinner in tbe? Hall, the guests at which numbered 250 The? distinguished party left Eaton on Friday morning, and proceeded to Chatsworth, where they were the guests of the Duke of Devon- shire. They were escorted from Eaton into thea .city by the Yeomanry Cavalry, under the? ?command of Earl Grosvenor, Lord Pobert?? Grosvenor, and Lieutenant Brooks. They were received opposite the R?yal Hotel by aj guard of honour of the 18rb Royal Irish, and a? large concourse of the citizens who bad | assembled to give the iHustrious visitors a fare- well cheer. The Hawarden troop of yeomanry | conducted the Royal party to Tarvin, where they were met by Sir Philip Grey Egerton and part 09 the Cheshire Yeomanry, and escorted thence^ through Nortbwich and Tabley to Knutsford where their Royal Highnesses alighted at the; George Inn and partook of luncheon. Under an. Jescort of the Knutsford troop of yeomanry the "ROyal party proceeded onwards, demonstrations of respect and loyalty being witnessed along the route. 6 I CHESTER AND THE CORONATION. R j, 5 Six years later Chester celebrated the oorona- S ftion of the little Princess as Queen of England. 'Salutes from the various small batteries in the vicinity of the city aroused the inhabitants to (prepare for the joyous event. From the city is belfries throughout the day merry peals clanged ■; forth, and from spire and tower flags fluttered) tin the breeze. Political and worldly differences were sunk, and a festival of jubilation was' observed. It was befittingly opened with a religious service at an early hour in St. Peter's Church, where loyal inhabitants of all shades of opinion offered fervent prayers that the reign of 5 Victoria might be one of mercy, peace and equity. This dutiful act over, merry-making was the order-, rof the day. Old Chester was transformed by 1 Plavish decorations, and the occasion was honoured J f as befitted the loyalty and patriotism of our!i ancient city. There was a great procession marshalled in the Castle Yard at eight o'clock Hn the morning, and the spectacle of schoolv children, members of various public bodies, $ citizens generally all congregated together to join f: ,in the national rejoicing was one that lived for); many years in the memories of the participants.") The processionists were estimated to number J 10,000 persons, and there were more than that i number of spectators. The remaining festivities lof the day included dinners and tea-parties, fire- tworks display and other forms of jubilation. The acme of attraction of the second day's carnival !| j was a regatta on the Dee, witnessed by somej :12,000 persons. There was a public dinner at the ?Exchange Assembly-rooms, at which the mani-k festations of loyalty were continued under very? happy circumstances. The great event con- f ,cluded with a Coronation Ball. The celebrations JS <in the county were not less enthusiastic than inJj ,the city. Every town and village marked the oc-? .casion by a series of fetes and the observance of? fa holiday. Nor were the inhabitants of North $?j {Wales one whit behind their Cheshire neighbours?, in their patriotic demonstrations on the historic I occasion. I TWICE HERE IN THE FIFTIES. 1 I The Queen made a brief stay at Chester in October, 1852, on her homeward journey from Balmoral to Windsor. Her Majesty was accom-§i ? panted by Prince Albert and those youthful mem-l !bers of the Royal family who had been sojouning at the Queen's Highland palace. The railway station was beautifully decorated and was? crowded with citizens. A guard of honour, con- jf sisting of 100 men of the 23rd Royal Welsh ?Fusiliers, with the regimental drums and fifes, ,and a detachment of Artillery, was placed on the? jline opposite the station offices, under the com- f [mand of Major Lysons. At each end of the? ?station a mounted troop of the Earl of Chester's •& Yeomanry Cavalry was in attendance, the oiffcers" ?on duty being Lieut.-Colonel Lord de Tabley, ?commandant; Lieut.-Colonel Sir Philip Egerton,? ibart Captain Hill, and Lieutenants Hill. Paling :and Potts, and Cornet Antrobus. As soon as the« [train had stopped and her Majesty appeared at 38 ¡the window, the Marchioness of Westminster? 'presented to the Queen a beautiful bouquet and a?j [basket of fruit; and the Marquis of Westminster (Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire) presented a copy of Hicklin's Illustrated Hand-Book of North Wales," which had been elegantly bound in? 'morocco. The Right Worshipful the Mayor of? Chester (Mr. P. S. Humberston), wearing his 'robes and chain of office, was then formally intro- 'duced by the Right Hon. S. Walpole, Secretary of. State, and proceeded to address her Majesty, ex- |a pressing the high gratification of the citizens at her Majesty's visit. The Mayor then presented j an address from her loyal and dutiful subjects, in Chester. The Lord Bishop of Chester then advanced to the Royal carriage and read" the humble address of the Bishop, the Dean, and the clergy of the Cathedral and the city of Chester." Among the company assembled near the Royal. carriage were the Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster, Marquis and Marchioness of Chol- mondeley, Viscount and Viscountess Combermere M Lady Agnes Grosvenor, Major-General the Hon. $ | Sir Edward and Lady Cust, Sir Stephen R. Glynn, the Hon. W. O. Stanley M.P., Mr. G Cornwall: Legh, M.P., Colonel M. Biddulph, M.P. the Rev. Canon Thurlow, Sir Edward and Lady Walker, Mr. H. Raikes and party, Mr. H. R. m Hughes, of Kinmel; Mrs. W. E. Gladstone, Mrs. Graham and family, Mr. John Townshend, ofil Trevalyn; Mr. John Fielden, of Mollington, and if Miss Anson. The Queen continued her journey?j to Bangor through Queen's Ferry, Flint, Rhyl, Abergele, Colwyn, and Conway and Aber. There was another ceremony at Bangor, where? the Queen viewed the tubular bridge, then a new? achievement of science. She returned to WindsorS?? via Shrewsbury. I Seven years later-in October, 1859-her Majesty honoured our old city with another stay flon her way to Bangor. In front of the platform, on the line of rails, was ranged the guard of l'honour, composed in the centre of the Fermanagh Militia, Ensign Sir Richard Gethin carrying the colours. On each wing of the Militia were ranged two companies of the Wirral Rifle Companies. On the platform on this occasion '> were the Marquis of Westminster, K.G., Lord de Tabley, the Earl of Enniskillen, Earl Gros- jf venor, M.P., Sir Stephen Glynn Mr. Robert Barbour, and Mr. C. Townshend. There were., also present the Mayor, city magistrates and) councillors, the Mayoress and party, Lady'? S Combermere, the Hon. Mrs. Hunter, etc. Accom- j5 ?panying her Majsety were the Prince Consort? f'and the Princesses Alice and Louisa. The  Marquis congratulated her Majesty on her safe? |arrival and introduced the Mayor, who presented ?? ?an address on behalf of the citizens. Afterwards? the Marquis of Westminster led forward Mrs.? Gladstone, who had the honour of presenting her J Majesty with a large bouquet. The Lord Bishops t, then presented an address from the clergy. 5 Her Majesty," says the "Courant" report? ? ??caught a sight of a choice bouquet of Howerst which the Mayoress held in her hand. Imme- t j^diately the Marquis led Mrs. Frost forward, and ? ithe Queen, graciously anxious, we presume, to? I accept the flowers, as the train was then m? ,motion, put her hand out of the window. and so? received them from the Marquis. The Queen ? then continued her journey to Bangor." &! I THE QUEEN IN NORTH WALES. I /Next in chronological order comes the Queen's j6 visit to NorthWales in August, 1889, when the resi- jjf dents in thef Principality accorded her a welcomed j|worthy of the Welsh people. Her Majesty's! visit was to Pale Hall, the picturesque seat of Sira -Henry Robertson. The Queen was aecompanied g by Princess Beatrice, Princess Alice of Hesse, p and Prince Henry of Battenberg. During her: stay at Pale her Majesty visited Bala, Wrexham, giRuabon, Llangollen and Corwen, being every- |.where acclaimed with Celtic enthusiasm. The inscriptions of welcome were without end. The, Queen was told that The heart of Wales is glad to-day," and she also had the assurance that,4, H" Gallant little Wales is true to thee." ? I THE JUBILEES. -1 a ±ne local rejoicings attendant upon the royals jubilees are too recent to require detailed repro-S duction. We need record here only that they were on a scale worthy of the occasions. Theij glad day of 1887 was ushered in with bell-ringing. ?|j The city was gaily bedecked. There was a reviews of Regulars and Volunteers, representing a strength of 3,200 men, on the Roodee, a salute ofs fifty guns was fired from the Castle Square by-q the 1st Cheshire and Carnarvonshire Volunteers, and one of the principal features of the celebra-S tion was the laying of the foundation-stone of the enlargement of the Free Library. A great pro- cession, a luncheon, a thanksgiving service at the j | Cathedral attended by the schoolchildren, treats w to the aged poor and Workhouse inmates, etc., took place. The Diamond Jubilee was celebrated a on an even more magnificent scale. First of all there was the impressive service in the Cathedral on the Sunday, followed on the Tuesday by a? ?procession of public bodies, the bestowal of the] E honorary freemanship upon several prominent a public men, and in the evening by a beautiful Iillumination display on the river. There were! |also a children's thanksgiving service in the|lf ?Cathedral and a treat to the aged poor. j S I THE QUEEN'S LAST VISIT. I ISo recently as April of last year her Majesty8  honoured Chester with a brief stay on her riturn t from a memorable tour in Ireland, and the details M ?are so well-known that a few lines will suffice  here. A splendid demonstration of loyalty was  witnessed at the General Railway Station, and it was regarded as an act of gracious favour on the part of her Majesty to make a brief stay at our old city after & fatiguing journey by land and sea l at her advanced age. The Queen received the ? Mayor (Alderman H. T. Brown) and Corporation, and the children of the city schools were ravaged ? along the platforms of t?be station, along with citizens of every rank. K

THE i I ■QUEEN'S LIFE.* I r I —♦— I 1-. F j SPECIAL .6 MEMOIR. | I SPECIAL .MBMOIRo' I It is not too much to piy that the death | of the Queen is a m of world-wide I importance. The con i of international f history may be vitall by it, just | as the course of British history was changed 3 by her accession to the Throne in 1837. I Queen Victoria claim 1 kinship with all 8 the most powerful I 1 in Europo. In ? 8 some matters s he con 1,1 hold them in check. | However much they (F liked or envied 3 Great Britain itself, Ki'wy< and Emperors !• scrupled to make war on the country over y | I which the aged Queen had reigned so long n and so brilliantly. They reverenced her | as a relative, and as a singularly charming a Sovereign. It was the common talk of one f | great nation in particular that their ruler ? ;1 would never make war ei conspire against Great Britain in the councils of Europe so i long as Queen Victo'ia survived. Now | that the strong bond binding together the 7. S Royal families of Europe has been broken, .1 family envyings and quarrels are pretty ? sure to be more freqwnt and more bitter. F ? We have reached a 'critica and an anxious '? 8 period in our national l history. In after *.t | years, when the annals of the Court are ? more explicitly revealed, they will confirm ? in the fullest degree all that has been said p in regard to the personal wœth of the '■ ? Queen. To have worn the white flower of ? a blameless life in the erce light that beats ?. upon a Throne" isanacnevene?t attained gi; | by few monarchs; but not n'y has her ? Majesty done this she has in a v ?st number  ? of ways shewn that her peop'e s rrowa and ? trials were her own she h? g ve i evidence  that she regarded her sup,<m- position in j;; | the land as one she was fillmg not for ?;  her own pleasure, but for the good and & | comfort of her subjects. The late Prince ? Leopold, who was understood to possess ? the Queen's confidence co?ttinly not less  p than any of the Royal Family, in a public "M j address compared life to that most serious .:(' ? of games—chess. He pointed out how J! ? much depended on the early disposition of -? | the forces, and how the whole after-career :1 | in life was frequently indicated by the '•& | lines of conduct followed in events which || | at first sight might seem only preliminary. || J It is in this aspect that readers will be led | to look at the manner in which, on June :,)t | 20th, 1837, the youthful monarch received 3. I the announcement of her accession to the E 5 Throne. |f I AN HISTORIC SCENE. fig Daughter of the Duke of Kent (brother of William the Fourth), the Princess was t trained with great care by her mother, the | Duke having died some eighteen months | after her birth, and she was possessed, | even in childhood, of singular self-control and prudence. The details of her reception j | of the news of the King's death have been i recorded graphically by Miss Wynn, and | though they have already been reproduced ) in several histories, they will bear repeti- j a tion. "On Tuesday morning, shortly after two o'clock, the Archbishop of Canterbury » and the Lord Chamberlain (Marquis of | Conygham, left Windsor for Kensington | Palace-where the Princess Victoria was ? ? residing with her mother-to inform her j ? Royal Highness of the demise. They ? reached Kensington Palace at about five ] jj o'clock; they knocked, they rang, they j ? thumped, for a considerable time before they j ? could rouse the porter at the gate; they | were again kept waiting in the courtyard, 3 ? then turned into one of the lower rooms, j ? where they seemed to be forgotten by ? ? everybody. They rang the bell, and desired j !i that the attendant of the Princess Victoria j | might be sent to inform her Royal Highness 1 ) that they requested an audience on bus i- j ness of importance. After another delay j I and another ringing to inquire the cause, the attendant was summoned. She stated j that the Princess was in such a sweet sleepi that she could not venture to disturb her. j Then they said: We are come to the Queen on business of State, and even her j sleep must give way to that! It did; and to prove that she did not keep them i waiting, in a few minutes she came into j the room in a loose white nightgown and: shawl, her night-cap thrown off, and her Î hair falling upon her shoulders, her feet jj in slippers, but perfectly collected and i dignified. Mr. Irving, in his Annals of Our Time," completes the picture by j stating that the Privy Council was sum- f moned to meet at Westminster at eleven i o'clock. At that hour the Queen, with the Duchess of Kent, entered the Council I Chamber, attended by her officers of State, and took her seat on a throne erected for i the occasion. The Lord Chancellor adminis- tered the usual oaths. The Queen after- sj wards received the oaths of her uncles, the | Dukes of Cumberland and Sussex, her f Majesty, with admirable grace, standing up J and preventing the latter from kneeling. & Thus it was that the reign auspiciously opened, the Queen, by numerous acts of < Royal courtesy and tact, winning the l hearts of counsellors whose experience at S such a period was invaluable to her. | CORONATION DAY. 8 It was soon apparent that the old order of things must change, giving place to, | new, both at Court and in the lives of the people. Queen Victoria set herself to work | to cleanse the Court. The atmosphere r there during the reigns of the Georges and I William IV. had certainly not been suit- able for refined or delicate-minded women. 1 As soon as the youthful monarch. took 1 possession a cleaner way of living was | inaugurated. The Court of St. JAmes's £ became a model of purity and Christian £ influence, for all the nations of Europe to | take pattern by. This good example I speedily affected society at large. An era. 4 of mental and physical development set in. The dandiacal manner," as Carlyle calls it, which had been one of the decadent f features of British life in the three, preceding reigns, began to give place to the '4! earnest action of a race of men bent upon ? the discovery and accomplishment of useful things. Queen Victoria's first years after her | accession to the throne were coincident with ?.' a vigorous intellectual impulse, which would have been well nigh fruitless, or which might j? never have declared itself at all, had the | corner-stone of the nation been rotten. I Her Majesty was crowned with great pomp | on Thursday, June 28th, 1838. GreviOe's J description of that long bygone scene is 1 well worth preservation: ? There never was | anything seen like the state of this town; | it is as if the population had been on a I sudden quintupled; the uproar, the con- | fusion, the crowd, are indescribable. | Horsemen, footmen, carriages squeezed, ey? jammed, intermingled; the pavement | j blocked up with timbers; hammering and 1 knocking and falling fragments stunning the ears and threatening the head; not a | mob here and there, but the town all mob | -thronging, bustling, gaing, and gaing I at everything, at anything, at nothmg; S? j the Park one vast encampment, with | banners floating on the tops of the tents, | and still the roads are covered and the 1 railways are loaded with arriving multi- 1 tudes. From one end of the route of the | Royal procession to the other, from the | top of Piccadilly to Westminster Abbey, a there is a vast line of scaffolding; the | noise, the movement, and the restlessness I are incessant and universal; in short, it is | very curious, but uncommonly tiresome,. | and the sooner it is over the better." On i the same authority we learn that "The | Coronation went off very well. The day I was fine, without heat or rain-tbe inau- | merabie inuiutuue wmcn wuongea the if streets orderly and satisfied. The | appearance of the Abbey was beatiful. particulady the benches of the peeresses, | who were blazing with diamonds. The | Queen looked very diminutive, and the | effect of the procession itself was spoilt by 1 being too crowded. There was not space I enough between the Qusea an<J the Lords | and others going before her. The Bishop 1 of London (Blomfield) preached a very | good sermon." There were one or two | j hitches in the ceremony, due to imperfect | rehearsal. Lord John Thynne, who officiated | for the Dean of Westminster, told Greville 1 | I that nobody knew what was going to be | done except the Archbishop a!d himself, Lord Willoughby and the Duke of Welliug- ton. With this state of aFairs there was {¡: naturally a of (' at the critical moments. The Queen said to liord John Tliynne "Pray tell me what I am to do, for they don't know"; amcl at the end, when the orb was put into her hand, she said to him What am I to do with it P Your Majesty is to carry it, if yom please, in your hand." Am I ?" sh. said; it is very heavy." The ruby ring was made for her little finger instead of th. fourth, on which the rubric prescribes that it should be put. When the Archbishop was to put it on she extended the former, but he said it must be on the latter. She said it was too small, and she could not get it on. He said it was right to put it there, and as he insisted she yielded, and had first to take off her other rings, and then this was forced on. But it hurt her very much, and as soon as the ceremony was over she was obliged to bathe her finger in iced water in order to get it off. THE ROYAL BETROTHAL. There are many occasions upon which the heart of the nation has gone out to the Queen to share her gladness and her sorrow, but there were three events in her life when this spontaneous sympathetic union between Sovereign and people was more distinctly marked than usual. The first was at her marriage, the second at her widowhood, the third at the great national festivity which celebrated her sixty years of Sovereignty. The Queen's betrothal was one of those incidents which never fail to arouse the warm sympathies of an impressionable people. Dynastic considera- tions make it impossible for most crowned heads to marry for affection. They have to sacrifice inclination for the good of their subjects. Happily, in the case of her Majesty, love and duty both pointed in the same direction, and her people were unfeignedly glad to know that it had not been necessary for the youthful Sovereign to sacrifice her most precious instinct for their sakes. The union between her and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, the second son of her mother's brother, had been a family dream. The Prince came to England in October, 1839. The Queen danced with him, gave him flowers, and proposed to him. The Prince has told the story in his own way. "The Queen sent for me alone to her room a few days ago, and declared to me, in a genuine outburst of love and affec- tion, that I had gained her whole heart, and would make her intensely happy if I would make the sacrifice of sharing her life with her, for she said she looked on it as a sacrifice. The only thing that troubled her was that she did not think she was worthy of me. The joyous openness of manner in which she told me this quite enchanted me, and I was quite carried away by it. She is really most good and amiable, and I am quite sure Heaven has not given me into evil hands, and that we shall be happy together. Since that moment Victoria does whatever she fancies I should wish or like, and we talk together a great deal about our future life, which sh,) premises me to make as happy as possible. A THE QUEEN'S MARBIAGB. $The betrothal took place on October ? 19th, 1839. A fortnight afterwards there ? was a Royal review in Windsor Park, and ? the Queen thus described it in her diary: $| "I set off in my Windsor uniform and cap g on my old charger ? Leopold,' with my m beloved Albert, looking so handsome in his ? uniform, on my right. I rode ? alone down the ranks, and then took my j| place, as usual, with dearest Albert on my ? right. It was piercingly cold, and ? I had my cape on, which dearest Albert H settled comfortably for me." And so. on I in joy and love, just as a thousand other girls wrote in their diaries. Announcing  the event to Baron Stockmar, the Prince g wrote on November 6th: An individu ality, a character, which shall win the respect, the love, and the confidence of the Queen and of the nation, must be the ? keystone of my position." On January ? 16th, 1840, the Queen drove in State to s the House of Lords to open Parliament, a and to make a formal announcement of ? her intended marriage. In the following ? week Prince Albert was made a naturalised ';4 subject; then came a sharp discussion on | the proposal to grant him an annual aHow- $j ance of £ 50,000. An amendment, pro- ? posed by Colonel Sibthorpe, reducing the ? sum to ?30,000, was carried by 262 votes ? to 158. The result greatly chagrined the | Queen, who had fully counted upon the | larger sum being voted without demur. ? By patent from the Queen Prince Albert ? received the title of "His Royal Highness" ? on the day he embarked at Calais. He was ? very sick on the way, but revived on meeting with a hearty reception. Next day ? he reached Buckingham Palace. On the ? Sunday following the Archbishop of Canter- ? bury dined with the Royal party; and in | the course of his visit asked the Queen ? whether—she being above all other person- ? ages in the realm, and her word & com- ? mand to any person whatsoever-it would | not be desirable to omit the word ? obey ? from the marriage service. "My lord," was ? her answer, "omit nothing. I. wish to be ? married as a woman, and not as a, Queen. ? And married as a woman she was. I IMPRESSIONS OF THE PRINCE. | Prhaps it may e well here to sum- ? marise what there is to say about Prince ? Albert. No better picture has been drawn ? of the Queen's choice than that limned ? by the sympathetic pen of Mr. Justin | McCarthy: "Prince Albert was a young ? man to win the heart of any girl. He g was singularly handsome, graceful and ? gifted. In Princes, as we know, a small ? measure of beauty and accomplishments I suffices to throw courtiers and Court ladies ? into transports of admiration; but had ? Prince Albert been the son of a farmer, or a ? butler, he must have been admired for his singular personal attractions. He seems to have had from his youth an all-pervading | sense of duty. So far as we can judge, he ? was absolutely free from the ordinary £ follies, not to say sins, of youth. He gave Jj up every habit, however familiar and dear, ? every predilection, no matter how sweet, ? that in any way threatened to interfere ? with the steadfast performance he had ? assigned himself." He did much for ? England. He succeeded in abolishing | duelling in the army. The Great Exhibition ? of 1851, which has been so widely imitated | down to present times by all nations, was ? due entirely to his initiative. He exercised ? a profound innuence upon Sate matters, ? and did much to form the inexperienced ? mind of the Queen; and all for good. His foreign policy, which led to the | | Crimean War,, may be called a mistake; |« but it was a bona-fifle mistake, and j due neither to ambition nor self- i interest. The wedded pair lived together I for twenty-two years, and had nine f children. Their domestic life was touch- 'i ingly simple. It was divided between the four residences of Buckingham Pal ace, Windsor Castle, Osborne, and Balmoral, the | building of which was one of the chief private delights of the young couple. At J Balmoral the home life was exceedingly natural, and charmingly simple. "The [ Queen, says Mr. Greville, "Irunnipg in j and out of the house all the day, goes cottages and chats with the old. | women." The Queen's own diaries com- f plete the picture of this cheery existence,. ? broken by State pageants, visits to or fromj ? Continental potentates like Louis Philippe, ? Czar Nicholas, or Napoleon III., naval' ? reviews at Spithead, yachting trip?, inspec- tions of soldiers and children's hospitals, i and the routine of State business, of which ?he Queen was a faithful ?server I HER FIRST SORROW. But the Queen's happiness was too com, plete to last. In December, 1861, Prince Albert manifested symptoms of low fever. The people did not appeal' to think the illness dangerous. Perhaps, had he taken the advice of his physicians earlier, the Prince might have pnllo l crouch. At I midnight of Saturday, Uecember 141in,. tne E great bell of St. Paul's began to toll I announcing the Queen's bereavement, the I Prince having died; at ten minutes to eleven o'clock. Her Majesty had already had | some prevision 01 the end. On the Sunday 1 preceding the Prince's death the Queen | was at church, when suddenly, as she 1 tells us, a prevision.of what was about I to happen came upon her, and in | that agony of haunting fear she heard I scarcely a word of the hopeful sermon, | preached by Charles Kingsley. At home | the Princess Alice sat playing and singing S hymns to 1 er dying father, who on that S memorable ?fte noon said to her: "I have ? such sweet thoughts, my dear." On the ? next Saturday, December Hth, 1861, at f eleven o'clock at i.- I i t, the end came. HDear little wife," were the Pi ince Con- sert'r. lust words in German, -,I,- he lovingly W'ii.ii..i.2"-mW: E N M

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