MONTHLY SUMMARY. 5 



It was foiwarded to Her Majesty through the Secretary of 

 State for the Home Department. 



Another most interesting and affecting communication has 

 subsequently been received by the Council. It is an autograph 

 letter from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, addressed 

 to the Council, and is in the following terms : 



Osborne, Deeemher 28, 1861. 



GentlemeKj — Prostrated with OTerwlielming grief, and able, at present, to 

 turn her thoughts hut to one ohject, the Queen my Mother has constantly in 

 her mind the anxious desire of doing honor to the memory of Him, -whose 

 good and glorious character the whole Kation in its sorrow so justly 

 appreciates. 



Actuated by this constantly recurring wish, the Queen has commanded me 

 to recall to your recollection that Her Majesty had been pleased to assent to a 

 proposal to place a Statue of Herself upon the Memorial of the Great Exhibition 

 of 1851, which it was intended to erect in" the New Horticultural Gardens. 



The characteristic modesty and self-denial of my deeply lamented Father 

 l>ad induced him to iuterpose to prevent his own Statue from filling that 

 position, which properly belonged to it, upon a Memorial to that great under- 

 taking which sprung from the thought of his enlightened mind, and was carried 

 through to a termination of unexampled success by his unceasing superin- 

 tendence. 



It would however now, Her Majesty directs me to say, be most hurtful to 

 Her feelings were any otiier Statue to surmount this Memorial, but that of 



the great, good Prince, my dearly beloTed Father, to whose honor it is in 



reality raised. 



The Queen, therefore, would anxiously desire that, instead of Her Statue, 

 that of her beloved Husband should stand upon this Memorial. 



Anxious, however humbly, to testify my respectful and heartfelt affection 

 for the best of fathers, and the gratitude and devotion of my sorrowing heart, 

 I have sought, and have with thankfulness obtained, the permission of the 

 Queen my Mother to offer the feeble tribute of the admiration and love of a 

 bereaved son, by presenting the Statue thus proposed to be placed in the 

 Gardens under your Management. 



I remain, Gentlemen, 



Yours, 



ALBEUT EDWARD. 



To THE Council of the SoRTicULTtrRiL Societt. 



A Special Meeting of Council was immediately summoned to 

 receive it, at wliicli they resolved, that under tlie lamentable 



