Society has been greatly interested this week in the marriage
of Prince Leopold to Princess Helen of Waldeck-Pyrmont. The ceremony came off on Thursday at Windsor, and was notable for a certain sustained and perfect stateliness and brilliancy, often absent from English Court festivities. There has been during the latter part of this reign a suppression of the ornamental side of the Monarchy, which makes such pageants, when they do occur, much more attractive ; while the people, moreover, it should be noted, have entirely lost their old, jealous dislike of German marriages. That was almost a passion down even to the Queen's marriage, and appeared even in the rejoic- ings over the Prince of Wales's wedding, his bride being sup- posed, chiefly on Tennyson's authority, to be a Dane ; but the tradition has now died out. The Duke of Albany is extremely popular, and his Duchess may, if she pleases and is able for the post, take. a separate and hitherto unfilled place in English society, as the leader of the women who recognise other in- terests in life than either frivolity or benevolence. A great lady who can think, and understand thought, would be an acquisition.
