wondered at that the first impression made on the Prince’s mind should have been a most painful one. But, as has already been said, he soon understood the nature of our political parties, and recognised that the proceedings in Parliament were only the result of high party feeling, and were by no means to be taken as marks of personal disrespect or of want of kind feeling to himself. For details of these controversies and the feeling they produced, the reader is referred to Sir Theodore Martin’s Life of the Prince Consort. The immediate result was an order in Council which settled the Prince’s position as following next after that of the Queen.
The news of these debates in the Houses of Parliament met the Prince on his way to England at Aix. He was naturally somewhat disturbed, but remarks in his letter to the Queen, “All I have to say is, that, while I possess your love, they cannot make me unhappy.” Any misgiving as to his popularity must, however, have been dispelled by the warmth of his reception at Dover, where he landed on the 6th of February, 1840, and by the enthusiastic greeting which welcomed him along his journey through Kent till he reached Buckingham Palace on the 8th.
The marriage was fixed for one o’clock on the 10th at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s, and at half-past twelve the Queen left Buckingham Palace with the Duchess of Kent and the Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess of Sutherland. The morning had been dark and dismal, with rain and fog. The Prince, who was supported by his father, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and by his brother Ernest, had preceded the Queen to the Chapel. He wore the Garter, and the Star of the Order in brilliants which had been presented to him the day before by the Queen. After a short interval, to the strains of the National Anthem, the procession of the bride entered. The Queen was preceded by the members of the Royal Family and the officers of State, the sword of State being carried before Her Majesty by Lord Melbourne. She wore a wreath of orange blossom, and round her shoulders the collar of the Garter. Her train was borne by twelve bridesmaids, daughters of Peers. They were the Lady Adelaide Paget, Lady Caroline Gordon Lennox, Lady Sarah Villiers, Lady Elizabeth Howard, Lady Frances Cowper, Lady Ida Hay, Lady Elizabeth West, Lady Catherine Stanhope, Lady Mary Grimston, Lady Jane Bouverie, Lady Eleanora Paget, and Lady Mary Howard. The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the royal bride was given away by the Duke of Sussex. A large picture of the ceremony was painted by Sir George Hayter, the principal group from which has been reproduced in the plate opposite page 68-It is taken at the moment when the Queen accompanied her promise to “love, honour, and obey,” with the look of love and trust which assured the spectators that her heart was in her words. At the instant when the ring was placed on her finger, the signal was given for firing the guns which communicated to the whole city the glad news of the union of the sovereign with the husband of her choice. The scene, as the newly married pair left the chapel, has been described by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, one of the ladies-in-waiting, who, writing a few days afterwards, says, “The Queen’s look and manner were very pleasing; great happiness in her countenance; and her look of confidence and comfort at the Prince, when they walked away as man and wife, was very pleasing to see. I understand she is in extremely high spirits since. Such a new thing for her to
dare
to be
unguarded
in conversing with anybody; and with her frank and fearless nature, the restraints she has hitherto been under from one reason or another must have been most painful.”
After the conclusion of the ceremony the Queen and Prince Albert, with the members of the Royal Family and the principal Ministers of State, passed into the throne-room. Here the marriage register was signed. By special permission a
The news of these debates in the Houses of Parliament met the Prince on his way to England at Aix. He was naturally somewhat disturbed, but remarks in his letter to the Queen, “All I have to say is, that, while I possess your love, they cannot make me unhappy.” Any misgiving as to his popularity must, however, have been dispelled by the warmth of his reception at Dover, where he landed on the 6th of February, 1840, and by the enthusiastic greeting which welcomed him along his journey through Kent till he reached Buckingham Palace on the 8th.
The marriage was fixed for one o’clock on the 10th at the Chapel Royal, St. James’s, and at half-past twelve the Queen left Buckingham Palace with the Duchess of Kent and the Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess of Sutherland. The morning had been dark and dismal, with rain and fog. The Prince, who was supported by his father, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and by his brother Ernest, had preceded the Queen to the Chapel. He wore the Garter, and the Star of the Order in brilliants which had been presented to him the day before by the Queen. After a short interval, to the strains of the National Anthem, the procession of the bride entered. The Queen was preceded by the members of the Royal Family and the officers of State, the sword of State being carried before Her Majesty by Lord Melbourne. She wore a wreath of orange blossom, and round her shoulders the collar of the Garter. Her train was borne by twelve bridesmaids, daughters of Peers. They were the Lady Adelaide Paget, Lady Caroline Gordon Lennox, Lady Sarah Villiers, Lady Elizabeth Howard, Lady Frances Cowper, Lady Ida Hay, Lady Elizabeth West, Lady Catherine Stanhope, Lady Mary Grimston, Lady Jane Bouverie, Lady Eleanora Paget, and Lady Mary Howard. The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the royal bride was given away by the Duke of Sussex. A large picture of the ceremony was painted by Sir George Hayter, the principal group from which has been reproduced in the plate opposite page 68-It is taken at the moment when the Queen accompanied her promise to “love, honour, and obey,” with the look of love and trust which assured the spectators that her heart was in her words. At the instant when the ring was placed on her finger, the signal was given for firing the guns which communicated to the whole city the glad news of the union of the sovereign with the husband of her choice. The scene, as the newly married pair left the chapel, has been described by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, one of the ladies-in-waiting, who, writing a few days afterwards, says, “The Queen’s look and manner were very pleasing; great happiness in her countenance; and her look of confidence and comfort at the Prince, when they walked away as man and wife, was very pleasing to see. I understand she is in extremely high spirits since. Such a new thing for her to
dare
to be
unguarded
in conversing with anybody; and with her frank and fearless nature, the restraints she has hitherto been under from one reason or another must have been most painful.”
After the conclusion of the ceremony the Queen and Prince Albert, with the members of the Royal Family and the principal Ministers of State, passed into the throne-room. Here the marriage register was signed. By special permission a
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