1895] Princess H clone's Wedding iji 



course, was late at starting, and so we arrived too late to get inside 

 the church, and the bride and bridegroom were already coming out 

 in procession. The Duke is under-sized, of extremely dusky hue, 

 his features good, but not imposing. Behind them came her brother, 

 the Duke of Orleans, his broken leg still disabling him, and a little 

 after the Prince and Princess of Wales with their daughters, and the 

 Dukes of Coburg and Connaught, Tecks, Fifes, and a number of for- 

 eign Princes and Princesses. In the crowd of invited persons there 

 were many French and a few Italians. There were hardly any English. 

 Indeed, all the English I saw were not a dozen. Leighton was there 

 and Lady Burdett Coutts, and a few men connected with the Court, 

 but almost no one belonging to general society. Nor were there any 

 English presents, which is strange, but though living so long in Eng- 

 land, they hardly knew any English people. Then we all got into our 

 carriages and drove in procession through Kingston and Twickenham, 

 a really pretty sight, with multitudes of flags and large crowds cheer- 

 ing and every window filled in the old-fashioned houses. There was 

 something Hogarthian in it all. In Orleans House tables were laid 

 for the royal personages and Ambassadors, but we, the less dis- 

 tinguished, had to be content with what we could scramble for at 

 buffets. Then we went into the garden where the bride and bride- 

 groom were making their round of congratulations, and I had the privi- 

 lege with others of kissing the bride's royal hand. My wedding pres- 

 ent of the Kelmscott poems was laid out with the rest. Sweet 

 personage, may she be happy ! 



" 26th Jane. — Called on Lady Lytton. She has just been appointed 

 Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen in the Duchess of Roxborough's 

 place, and she showed me Her Majesty's autograph letter, which was 

 very kindly and even touchingly worded, saying she admired the way 

 she had borne her troubles, recalling Lytton's good services, and in 

 a postscript saying she was glad of Victor's recovery from his recent 

 illness. Certainly the old Queen has the power of conveying her 

 meaning in a few simple, not to say commonplace, words so as to 

 give the impression of a true feeling, more than most women. It 

 affected me to read the letter, I hardly know why. 



" 2gth June.— Called on Harry Cust at the ' Pall Mall Gazette ' 

 Office. He is much improved since last year and takes his editorship 

 seriously. He told me that when he began with the ' Pall Mall Ga- 

 zette ' he had a promise of office as soon as the Tories should come 

 into power, but that is now all swept away. 



" Then to Newbuildings, where I joined Anne, and we took formal 

 possession. It pleases me much to be there, for it is far more of a 

 hermitage than Crabbet was, and one can forget here the worries of 

 the world. 



