sweet morning,
Our best hopes and wishes blending
Must yield joy that's never ending."

During these years the Prince of Wales was gradually assuming many of
the duties and public tasks which would have devolved upon the Queen, or
in earlier days have been performed with such fidelity and care by the
Prince Consort. At this time the Queen was living in strict retirement
and for a long period still to follow she maintained the same sorrowing
seclusion in a more or less modified form. Toward the close of 1865 the
death of Lord Palmerston removed a statesman in whom the Prince had
found a personal friend and whom he had consulted and greatly trusted in
private matters. In February, 1866, the Queen made one of her rare
public appearances and opened Parliament, in person, accompanied by the
Prince and Princess of Wales. A little later came the cholera epidemic
which killed one hundred thousand people in Austria and caused a number
of deaths in England. To the Mansion House Relief Fund, which ultimately
reached the total of $350,000 and to another Fund, the Prince
contributed $17,500. In August the Royal couple visited Studley Royal,
the seat of the Earl de Grey and Ripon--better known afterwards as the
Marquess of Ripon--and were given a great reception in the City of York.
An incident of the latter occasion was a sudden downpour of rain during
which the Prince stood up in his carriage, bareheaded, so that the
people should not be disappointed.

VARIOUS PUBLIC FUNCTIONS AND EVENTS

A little before this, on May 9th, the President and Council of the
Institution of Civil Engineers entertained the Heir Apparent at a
banquet in London and amongst the other guests were the veteran Field
Marshal Sir John Burgoyne, the Dukes of Sutherland and Buccleuch, Earl
Grey, Lord Salisbury, Sir John Pakington, Sir Edwin Landseer, Sir
Richard Owen and many other eminent scientists and leaders of the time.
During his speech the Prince paid a tribute to the work of Brunel and
Stephenson and, in the latter connection, referred to the great bridge
across the St. Lawrence, in Canada, which he had inaugurated in 1860 and
to which he gave the credit for an opportunity to visit British America
and the United States. On June 11th His Royal Highness had also laid the
foundation of the new building of the British and Foreign Bible Society
in London. He was received formally by the President, the Earl of
Shaftsbury, the Lord Mayor, the Archbi