THE ROYAL FAMILY

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 18, 31 October 1861, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE ROYAL FAMILY

VTt: suppose our royal family wishes to be regarded as an English family ; they do not desire like the English in India, to bo looked upon as foreign rulers of a great nation. If so, it really seems rather singular that all their t enderost attachments should be formed across the water ; Germany being the happy land on which the smiles of English princesses are bestowed, as soon as they arrive at marriageable age, and almost before they do so. The petty prince of a petty estate, passing by the name of an independent stale, to whom the princess Alice is now betrothed, may be, and doubtless is, as desirable a foreigner as our young princess could select ; select, wc say, because Lord Palmerston, with a little liloomorism of phraseology, represents her Koval Highness as having •made choice of a prince who, he is persuaded, will prove, in every respect, worthy of her choice. Lord Derby also gives us bis guarantee that the “ contract is founded on (bo best security for happiness —an intimate personal acquaintance between the parties, and a mutual affection and esteem.” This secures to her some compensation for the comparatively humble position of the Bridegroom elect. But if we ask bow this intimate acquaintance with a foreigner in country and language commenced, wc must suppose that foreigners were the associates preferred for our young princesses at the age most susceptible of such impressions. It will be the same, wo suppose, when the brothers begin to think of marrying. The continent will he scoured for wives for them, and England may one day have a Queen who can hardly speak her language or be at ease without a little clique of German ladies around her. To ns, wc must cofess, the whole thing smacks of mediaeval semibarbarism of the times when the royal races were held to be of different blood to their subjects, and reigned by a right divine. Then, of course, it was not fitting that royalty, in any of its branches, should be allied with anything but royalty elsewhere, and kingdoms were gained by marriages, and given away as wedding portions. Surely, it is time to give up such barbaric notions. Left to themselves, and associating with the families of onr English nobility who arc in truth of far higher standing than these contemptible German sovereignties, our young princes and princesses would form their attachments and connections here, and the English Exchequer would not be made the means of sup-

plementiug tlio poverty of tlicso needy little potentates. It will be much to be regretted if our Sovereign, beloved as she is by the nation, does not awake to the desirableness of thoroughly Anglicising her family. Englishmen generally feel these paltry royalties to bo but unworthy connections for our Crown. We are a selfcontained set of islanders, and we think our roval family should be one of ourselves.— Sun. “