Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Saturday 27 April 1878, page 12


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^tVrars, 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 thCrow 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 newlymarried 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 eeramony 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.