eam-launches and boats. Flags were flying
everywhere on sea and shore and in the evening the illuminations were
striking. At the _Britannia_ the Royal visitors were received by Mr. W.
H. Smith M.P. First Lord of the Admiralty and a distinguished gathering
amongst whom were Lord and Lady Charles Beresford and Sir Samuel and
Lady Baker. In his speech the Prince referred to the personal expression
of confidence in the institution by the Princess and himself in sending
their two sons to be trained there and expressed the hope that the
latter might do credit to the ship and to their country. A visit to
Dartmouth followed and then Prince Edward and Prince George were taken
home for their holidays.

THE DEATH OF PRINCESS ALICE

During this year the Heir Apparent had the misfortune to lose his
much-loved sister the Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, to whose
careful nursing he had owed so much in his own serious illness and the
sad features of whose death--as a result of nursing her children through
an attack of malignant diphtheria--had proved such a shock to the
British public. The Prince and Princess spent some months in retirement
after this occurrence and had also to mourn the death of the gallant
young Prince Imperial of France, in whose career they had taken a deep
personal interest--not only on account of his loveable qualities, but
because of the long friendship between the Royal house of England and
the widowed Empress Eugenie, to whose lonely hopes and pride the loss
was so terrible. The Prince of Wales helped the stricken lady in the
details of the funeral, acted as the principal pall-bearer and showed
his sympathy in many ways, of which the wreath of violets sent from
Marlborough, with the following inscription, was an incident: "A token
of affection and regard for him who lived the most spotless of lives and
died a soldier's death fighting for our cause in Zululand. From Albert
Edward and Alexandra, July 12, 1879." His Royal Highness strongly
supported the proposal to erect a Memorial in Westminster Abbey, but
even his great influence could not overcome the international prejudices
which the suggestion aroused and he had to wait till January, 1883, when
the "United Service Memorial" was erected at Woolwich, and, accompanied
by his two sons and the Dukes of Edinburgh and Cambridge, he was able to
unveil the statue and fittingly eulogize the Royal French youth who had
fought and died for the country which ha