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The Royal Marriages at Berlin.
From the Court Journal, Feb. 23.)
The marriage of Princess Charlotte, the eldest
daughter of the Crown Prince of Germany, to
the Hereditary Duke of Saxo-Meiningen, and
the marriage of Princess Elizabeth, daughter of
Prince Frederiok Charles, to the Hereditary
Grand Duke of Oldenburg were solemnised
shortly after six o'clook on Monday evening,
February l8, in the chapel attached to the
palace of tbe Emperor at Berlin
Of the two young brides, Princess Charlotte,
the eldest daughter of their Imperial and Royal
Highness the German Crown Priince and the
Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland,
was born on the 24th of July, 1860
Her husband, the Hereditary Prince Bern-
hard of Saxe Meinîngen, her senior by fiv-
years, is the eldest son and heir of the reigning
Duke, George II, and his deceased wife,
Princess Charlette of Prussia, niece of
the Emperor and eldest daughter of Prince
Albrecht of Prussia, and Princess Marianne
of the Netherlands. Prince Bernhard is a Cap-
tain in the Prussian Foot Guard, and has spent
the greater part of his life at Berlin, where he
formed an intimacy with the Crown Prince and
his family. His future dominions will be
limited to a comparatively small area; but,
being described as a young Prince of con-
erablef gilts and exoellent character, he is
expected to make a name for himself among the
rulers of the land Prince Bernhard has.
inherited large fortune from his mo her and
grandmother, in addition to what is allotted to
him as the son and heir of father.
Tbt Princess Elizabeth of Piu*sia, tl).-> other
youthful brido, is the ,-eoor.d diuyhter e.f Prince
F.tdenck Charles, the R<>d Punce of the la^t
Vrars, and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt, one
faf ef the oriiamente of the Pru»*i»u Court
T Htr hu«band ia the Hereditary Grand Duko
Gioipr- <f O.denburg, born tbt I610. of Novnn
b< r, 1852, and the senior of bis bride by five
years He was educated at Oldenburg, end
subsequently studied at Leipsio University,
fcfror t.hir-h he travelled in the Eiht. Both of
the bridegrooms went thiough the whole of the
French o.impuign with their royal fathers.
lu the great Elector's room reserved for
the Royal personages thete were gathered the
Emperor and Empress, the Kirg and Queen
of the Belgians, tho Grown Prinoei of Gor
ni so y, Great Britain, 0.denbury, Meiningen,
Altenburg, Anhalt, Baden» and Hohenz illern ;
the Grand Dukes of Oldenburg, He«se, and
Baden ; the Dukes of Connaught, Stx< Coburg,
Saxo,Meiningen, Anhalt, end all tho members
of the Royal HoU:e of Prussia The Royal
personages being mostly accompanied by their
august spouses and some having their ohildren
with timm, about six y members of reigning
families woro counted in this magnificent
assemblage. According to German oustom,
the brides, with their tfEauotd husbands,
freely mingled among the Royal throng
At half past six the ooronets worn by the
Princesses of the Royal blood on their mar-
riage day wore oarried into the room by offi-
cers of the Royal Troueury, escorted by Lifo
Guards and Palase Grenadiers When the
Empress in an adjoining Cabinet, arsisted by
the Countess Perponoher, the Mistress of the
Robes, had fastened these symbols of Roy ali y
on the heads of the youthful brides, the Em
peror gave the signal for the prooosfsion to Lrm
and proceed to the chapel. The Marshals and
Chambr-rlwins of the Court opened the cortege
Immediately after them walked the bridal oou
plae, closely attended by their Ladies and
Gentlemen in Waitir g Preceded by the dazzl
iii g functionaries of tho Court and followed by
an imposing army of Generals, appeared the
"Eraporor, with the Queen of the Belgians on
his right and the Grand Duehess of Oldenburg
on his left. Next walked the Empress, having
the King of the Belgians to her right and the
Prince of Wales to h or left A galaxy of
Ladies in-Waiting and Maids of Honour sepa
rated this part of the prooession from the Crown
Prinoe and Crown Princess, the Princess sup-
ported on eroh sido by the fathers of the bride-
grooms, the Prinoo leading Princesa Frederika
Charles and the Grand Duchess of B -den, his
sister in law and sister. Punce Frederick
Charles cocduoted tho Duchess of S«xo Alten
burg and the Prinoeas Albreoht of Prussia,
tfhilo the Duohess of Anhalt was between
Prit co Charles, the grandfather of one of the
bli des and the grand undo of the other, and
the Duke of SaxeCoburg and Gotha. Then
followed the Duohess Wilhelm of Mecklenburg,
with the Grand DukoB of Baden and Hesse;
the Duke of Connaught with the hereditary
Trinoess of Hoheczollorn and Prinorss Mary of
Prussia; and Prineo William of Presida, the
eldest son of the Crown Prince, with Princess
Loone Margaretha of Pru-sia and PrinocsB
Mario of Saxe-Meiningqn.
Twenty more Dukes and Princes brought up
tho rear of the Royal cortege. As the prooession
slowly advanoed through the Knights' Hall, the
White Hall, and the Picture Gallory to the
chapel, it formed a brilliant picture The mag-
nificent dreisea of tho ladies, with their long
trains, eariied either by damsels of high degree
or by pages, vied with tho ermine of tho prinoi
pal personages and the jewellery of all, in dazz
Ung the spectators' eyes. Like dark »peeks in
thepe waving fljods of drap d'or velvet satin,
and Eilk, appoarcd the ponilotcon in their oom
parut it vi y sober array of Piussian bluo, relieved
by sparklirg ribands, sashes, and Orders. As
tiEuil in theso Prussian assemblies there waa
so lack of feminine gtuoe and masouliuo beauty
As tbo proc.ssion entoied the ohapcl, the
choir entoned tho ohoralo, the oangrogation al
ready ashcmbled bowing to the angUBt arrivals.
The Corps Diplomatique, the Chancellor of
the German Empire, the Field Marshals and
Knights of the Black Eiglo were on one side of
the altar; the Ministers, Gérerais, mombere of
the Federal Council, and Privy Councillors on
'the other There were the ohiefs of all the
Military and Civil departments of the State,
¿heir ladies, the Presidents of both HOUSOB of
Parliament, and a shining, bewildering array of
dignitaiies, military officers, and all that is groat
and grand at this aristooraiio Court. High
above the gay multitude rose the lofty cupola
of the Sexagon Chapel-a building in the By
ztntine style, maj'g.io, despite itB lavish colour-
ing, and rendered even more imposing by the
solemn rays of thousand* of wax lights.
The bridal oouples took up tbi'ir station in front
of the altar. The Imperial Family, with their
Royal guests, ranged themselves in a semi oirole
around them. The R&v. Dr. Kocgel, Pulaoe
Chopkin to his MajcsBy, standing brforo the altar
delivered a short and appropiiate address on a
passage from Romans Xli -" llejoicng in hope,
patient in tribulation, continuing instant in
prayer." He then read the Liturgy, put the
scatoliing question to the four young beings be-
fore him, whether they wonld be true to eaoh
other for better, for woree, and exohanged the
lings. At this moment the roar of artillery an
nounof d the joyous tidings to the town. Warm'
and affeotionate were the congratulations offered
to the brides and bridegrooms by their parents
and grandparents, who woro spared to witness
this propitious day.
A more general congratulation was offered in
the Red Velvet Chamber, whither the Royalties
returned amid peals of stored musio After a
short interval, the Emperor and his Royal Con
sort movod again to the White Hall, and, as-
cending a dais in front of the Throne, sur-
rounded by the Royal Family and guests, gave
a signal for what is teohnioally oilled Le Cour.
The ceremony ooneists in the whole of tbe
asserublv dtfilmg past the Throne and bowing
to the Emperor and Empress Toe brides «nd
bridegrooms, the Amb»isadres«es, Lady OJo
Rutbell and Countess Karolyi, opened the stately
array Tho wives of «he various Eivoys and
Secretaries followed. When the foreign lidien
bad passi d, the wives of tbe German dignitaries,
preoeded by PriooesB Bismarck, stepped for
ward.
A neocssary interlude was the supper. The
R»yal personage« partook of it in the Koightn'
Hill, while the guests had ample buffetB to resort
to in a whole Buite of apartmonts. As theRiyul
table Piifloes and Dukes handid ab.iut soup tu
reens and poured ouf-the sparkling wine These
important función« are hereditary and appertain
MI some bi the most distinguished fumilies in the
'and A speoial feature of the entertainment
,»BS two towering wtdiiingcakus ordered by th
Crow n Princess From England, and muoh ad-
mired by those Teutonic personages who had
never teen or tasted anything of the kind.
When the snup was removed the Emperor gave
the toast, "abiding happiness to the newly
married oouphs "
And now ensued the famous ooremony, peon
liar to this Court, known as the Fackeltanz, or
torchlight procession A moro formal, unter
pnohorean dance oannot well be imagined
Their German and Belgian Majesties, together
with tho newly-married oouples, being seat, d on
ehe dal, in front of the Throne, the other Rjjal
personages ranged themselves on both sides, the
ludio« OB the ri^ht and the gentlemen on the
left. This preliminary duly settled, the Rus
sien Cabinet Ministen, beaded by Prince Salm,
tue Grand Marshal of the Court, approached
the Emperor Carrying im mouse lighted wax
tapers in their bands, they bjwed before his Ma
jâstyand turned to tbo right Oa this the newly
married oouples rose and made the oirouit of
tbe hall, tho Ministers going before thom and
the baud playing a polonaiso composod for the
ocoasion, The first oirouit over, tho Emperor
got up and went round with the brides ; next, ii
was the Einj.rets's turn to conduot, tbo brides
gro ma over the same ground Taen the other
Royalties, one by ono, carne in for their share of
tbe psgeint, till at last ovory Roy>l lady pre
sent hud danced, as it is euphemistically called,
with the two bridegrooms, and every Prinoe
wita the two brides. To complete this cycle no
less than twenty-two oii'cuits were required.
The brides or bridegrooms figured only alter
nately ; but the Cabinet Ministers, undergoing
an even worse infiiotion, lighted tho path at
cvary sueoossive round Prinoe Bisrnarok did
not take part in this laborious ooremony After
the last round the Ministers handed their tapers
to pages, who conduoted the newly-married
oouples to iboir apartmonts in the Palace
After the r Rjyal Highncsucs had retired, the
lady stewardesses of the brides distributed to the
euests, Booording toan oldoustom of the Prussian
Court, about 200 small velvet or silk ribbons in
the Prussian colours, with the portraits of tho
Princess, eaoh ribbon representing a pi, co of the
bride's garter. By this ceremony the festivity
of the evening was oonoluded.
A few boura previous to tbo nuptial enromony
in the Chapel, the civil marmgo took placo be
foro tbo Minister of the Rjyal Household, this
being the Grut time that a member of the Prus-
sian Rjyal family has attended a civil marriage
While tho oompany wore dispersing, the eera
mony of distributing the bride's garters-like-
wise a relio of mediajzul times-was duly per-
formed. The bride's garter« are nowa days
silk ribbons bearing the initials of the young
spou'o.
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