THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 11, 31 May 1858, Page 1

THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL.

On the 25th January, of this year, an event look place in England, deeply interesting to the whole nation. A Royal marriage was celebrated. The Bridegroom, Prince Frederic William, is nephew to the reigning King of Prussia, and in all probability, will one day himself ascend the throne of that kingdom. The youthful Bride is the Princess Royal of England, Victoria Adelaide, eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort, better known to the Maori people as Prince Albert. Her Royal Highness was born in 4840 and is therefore now in the 18th year of her age.

Her Majesty's subjects in New Zealand, Maori as well as Pakeha, will not fail to share in the universal joy manifested on the occasion of this marriage of the eldest daughter of England's Sovereign. The English newspapers are full of glowing accounts of the proceedings in connection with the ceremony. A very brief sketch of these is all the "Karere" can offer to its readers. The ceremony was performed at the Chapel Royal at St. James* (one of the Royal Palaces in London) by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishops of London, Oxford and Chester, and the Dean o f Windsor, in the presence of a large number of noble and illustrious visitors including the parents of the Bridegroom the Prince and Princess of Prussia. The Royal apartments in the Palace were splendidly decorated. In ihe throne room was an elegant table covered with rich crimson velvet cloth with bUie <x>rds and tassels upon which the marriage register was signed. The Chapel was tooh beautifully decorated with flowers. Though a cold winter's day, the space between Buckingham Palace, the residence of 4he Royal family, and Sr. James' Palace, where the ceremony was to be performed, was crowded with eager spectator* of all classes. .Every face wore a smile and tie whole city seemed to rejoice. There were nags waving, bells ringing and guns firing at frequeut intervals throughout the day. The streets were thronged with lighr-hearted pedestrians all bending their steps in onediE ecll S? ™* evidently resolved on entering beartHy »nto the joyous spirit of the day. In the evening the Whole city was illuminated. Prince Will jam had arrived in England from bis own country a snort time previous to the day fixed for the marriaire and was an inmate of Buckingham Palace ou the eventful morning. Shortly before noon the carnages containing the bridegroom his parents the Prince and Princess of siaand the principal guests from abroad left

Buckingham Palace to proceed to St. James. These were soon followed by Her Majesty's procession, in nine Royal carriages, the first containing the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred and other members of the Royal family, followed l)y the great officers and ladies of the Royal Household. The light carriage .contained the Bride who was attended by her sister, the Princess Alice and her great Uncle the King of the Belgians. Then came the carriage drawn by cream colored horses; the cry was heard, "ins Queen!" and the Joud cheers of the multitude rose into the air. Her Majesty was accompanied by her mother the Duchess of Kent. At the entrance to St. James' Palace a temporary colonnade covered with crimson and yellow drapery had been erected under which the carriages drove and the Royal party alighted before entering the Palace. Within, in front, rose the grand staircase covered with rich crimson carpet. At the top on the right was. the bride's boudoir, sparkling in white and gold and its walls furnished with cosily mirrors. Beyond, through a pair of folding doors, were seen the stale apartments beautifully decorated with flowers, several of them through which the processions were to pass to the Chapel lined with elegantly dressed spectators, principally ladies, who had been admitted to the Palace. One of _ the galleries had been devoted exclusively lo young ladies and looked very brilliant. The order of the processions having been formed, the different parlies preceded by drums and trumpets, passed on through the state rooms and the lines of sphmdidly dressed ladies and gentlemen stationed in them, to the Chapel. First came the Princess of Prussia, the mother of the bridegroom, with her attendants. The Queen's procession followed in the centre of which walked Her Majesty lending the Princes Leopold and Arthur and followed by the Princesses Louisa, Alice, and Helena. Next followed the procession of the Bridegroom, Prince Frederic William, who was supported by bis father the Prince of Prussia. After a short interval came the procession of the Bride who was supported by her father the Prince Consort and her great uncle the King of the Belgians. The train of the bride was borne by eight unmarried daughters of l)ukes, Marqnisses, and Earls. We cannot attempt to describe the deeply interesting ceremony in the Chapel. The marriage service was read by the Venerable Arcbbisbop of Canterbury in a most impressive manner and the Royal

pair exchanged their mutual vows of love and fidelity. At the conclusion of the ceremony the newly married pair left the Chapel together, while the band of music played a wedding march* A grand feu de joie was also fired from the guns in the Park. The Royal party returned to Buckingham Palace at about half-past one amid the most enthusiastic expressions of joyful congratulations from the crowds of spectators through which they fassed. In the afternoon of the same day, rince Frederic William and his Bride proceeded to Windsor by the Great Western Railway to take up their temporary abode at Windsor Castle. At Windsor the Royal party were received with joyful acclamations. A ball was held in the evening in the town hall which was brilliantly illuminated. A large number of the poorer inhabitants were regaled with substantial fare in a large tent erected for the purpose and on the following day 3000 poor children of the town were entertained in a similar manner. After a few days stay at Windsor Castle the Prince and Princess returned to Buckingham Palace and on the 2nd February left the shores of England for the land which is henceforth to be the home of the Princess Royal of England.

Manawatu, November 26, 1857. Friends, both European and Maori, I have seen in the "Maori Messenger" communications by certain Maories making known their thought*. I therefore considered that it would be right for me also to express my sentiments. Listen then. Ido not approve of setting up a Maori King, it will not succeed; it is better now to submit to be guided by the Government, as it was {hat saved us from many evils. Let the New-Zealand Chiefs be called Rangatiras, but not assuredly by the title of King. The Ring is a name suitable only to the good and true, and who are able to guide and instruct their subjects. It will be better for. .us to commit the management of our own aftairs to the pakeha who bas elevated us, and whose peculiar work this is. to raise and elevate the people. Had any Chief of former times discovered the means of advancing the people, and maintained his position up lo the present lime, this talk about a Maori King might appear more reasonable, as it is, let us

acknowledge the sovereignty of the Queen only. Ibe English law removed two evils from us, —evils which prevailed among ourselves, and the danger of evil from oilier countries. By the hoisting of the British flag in New-Zealand we are protected from the coming among us of bad people from other lands. For this reason my heart greatly rejoices in this people, because of the evils which they suppress and avert. Hence* I say, what is the Maori King to us? I have no sympathy for that Maori work. With that I will have nought to do. /~" My thoughts have another object. 1 will not embark in the Rahuru. For that canoe is overladen. Friends, I admire the Pakeha customs, and their kindness to the Maories of New-Zea-land. My heart is full of admiration of the goodness and kindness of the people of England. They came to ibis country and found us in ignorance, strife, and all kinds of evil. Bad tbey not come to our island, we should have become worse, for, even now, we have not got rid of evil altogether. It is therefore my opinion lint we should be satisfied to live under the same governmeni as the Pakeha. Tbaf which keeps the Maories in a state of ignorance is the want of energy in adopting these Pakehi customs* which have been so often recommended to us. Wherefore I think, my Friends, that we should adopt those good customs of die Pakeha which tend to the preservation of peace and the union of the two races as one people Let the attainment of these be first sought that each may be bound to the other io the bonds of amity, that is, let the Maori heart submit tc be guided by the good customs of the Pakeha that it may be seen that we are a people advanciug in good, in wisdom, and in knowledge, and able to carry some system. One good thing of the Pakeba's is the practice of settling differences amicably by submitting tbem to arbitration, the Maori way: is by quarrelling, which is a very bad one. Tbe superiority of the customs of English people in many other respects is plainly seen by the Maories. For my part therefore I have determined to follow the custom of these Europeans. There is now no other hope for the Maori. Where shall we go to carry out anything in opposition to the Pakeha and his system. If we attempt it we shall.fail; let us rather give our support to the just: and■ true laws of our gracious Queen, in whom both

Pakebas and Maories may place confidence for the yoke is now upon the neck of the Maories of New-Zealand. I mean by the yoke, the system of the Pakehas which wiJI tame and civilize its; Friend Mr. Smith, — What I am about to say to you is not of any great moment, but it deserves notice. I am thinking of the practices which we Maories still maintain and will not give up. 1 refer to the tauas about women and widows.'the tanas Tor Maori curses, and a variety of other evils which are gaining strength under the new ordef of things, the thoughts of the people are still too much turned to those unprofitable works of darkness. For this reason I have wished that the system of the law should be upheld and that these words of mine should lie published. Let that which is right be set forth in the same way as the words of our friend Mr. Chapman who is urging the Maori people to become industrious. It is well that advice should be given us and if it be rejected the fault is ours. If you approve of these words, let them D 3 published, if not, reject tbem. This is all 1 have to say at present. From your Friend, Mitai Pene Taw.