General von Wrangel at
Babelsberg in August 1858. "He is seventy-six," she wrote,
"and a great character." He had commanded a division in the
Danish war of 1848, and it had fallen to him in the same year,
as Commandant of the troops, to dissolve the Berlin Assembly
by force.]

[Footnote 38: Prince Ernest Augustus, born 1845; the present
Duke of Cumberland.]

[Pageheading: CORONATION OF KING OF PRUSSIA]

[Pageheading: A BRILLIANT CEREMONY]

[Pageheading: DISTINGUISHED GUESTS]

_The Crown Princess of Prussia to Queen Victoria._

KOENISBERG, _19th October 1861_.

MY BELOVED MAMMA,--Last night I could not write to you as I would have
wished, because I felt so knocked up that I went to bed. I have got
such a very bad cold on my chest, with a cough that leaves me no rest,
and of course cannot take care of myself, and am obliged to stand and
sit in every sort of draught with a low gown and without a cloak, so
it is no wonder to have caught cold. I have not had a cough since
I don't know when. I should like to be able to describe yesterday's
ceremony to you, but I cannot find words to tell you how fine and how
touching it was; it really was a magnificent sight! The King looked so
very handsome and so noble with the crown on; it seemed to suit him so
exactly. The Queen, too, looked beautiful, and did all she had to do
with perfect grace, and looked so _vornehm_; I assure you the whole
must have made a great impression on everybody present, and all those
to whom I have talked on the subject quite share my feeling. The
moment when the King put the crown on the Queen's head was very
touching, I think there was hardly a dry eye in the church. The
_Schlosshof_ was the finest, I thought--five bands playing "God save
the Queen," banners waving in all directions, cheers so loud that they
quite drowned the sound of the music, and the procession moving slowly
on, the sky without a cloud; and all the uniforms, and the ladies'
diamonds glittering in the bright sunlight. I shall never forget it
all, it was so very fine! Dearest Fritz's birthday being chosen for
the day made me very happy; he was in a great state of emotion and
excitement, as you can imagine, as we all were. Mr Thomas[39] was in
the chapel. I hope he will have been able to take down some useful
memoranda. The Grand Duke of Weimar,[40] the King and ourselves, have
ordered drawings of him.

The _coup d'[oe]il_ was really beautiful