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New Zealand Mail, Issue 29, 12 August 1871, Page 8

Prince Airbed and the Duchy or Saxe-Coburg-.—The prolonged illness of Prince Ernest of Saxe-Coburg has given rise to speculation in the duchies of Coburg and Gotha as to his probable successor. The presumptive heir, says a correspondent of the “ Volkszeitung,” is Prince Alfred of England, now twenty-seven vears old. Some time ago he made several brief visits to Coburg, where he has a new palace and some empty stables, but he has since adopted the naval career, and is at this moment cruising with an English squadron in tho Indian Ocean. He is a total stranger to the affairs of the duchies ; he appears to be more at home in the Indian Archipelago than in Coburg and Gotha, and does not show much ambition to play the part of a small German Prince. Queen Victoria has two other and younger sons—Arthur and Leopold —who have also learned German. They might replace their brother on the throne of the duchies, unless indeed, England should prefer to renounce their hereditary rights in favor of the German Emperor. This would be the most sensible course, and anyhow it must come to that sooner or later.