THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Queen Victoria attends daughter’s marriage despite being in ‘deep mourning’ for Prince Albert

The News Letter on this day in 1862 reported that Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria, had been married to Prince Louis of Hesse (who was to become Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse in 1877) in a private ceremony at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

The paper reported that the Queen had attended her daughter’s wedding “suffering under her recent severe affliction” in a “most private manner” and in deep mourning.

The Queen was surrounded by her four sons the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, Prince Arthur and Prince Leopold, while she was also attended on by her Grace the Duchess of Wellington, Mistress of the Robes, and by her Grace the Duchess of Atholl, the Lady in Waiting.

Princess Alice, noted the News Letter, had been given away his Royal Highness the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha given that her father, Prince Albert had died the previous December in the Blue Room in Windsor Castle from typhoid fever.

The ceremony was performed by his Grace the Archbishop of York given the unavoidable absence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

After the ceremony the wedding presents were inspected by the newly married couple.

Prominent among the gifts were those offered by the Duchess of Atholl and the Countess of Fife.

But the most remarkable wedding gift received by the couple was offered by the Maharaja Dalip Singh.

It was a “magnificent jewelled fan in gold; on one side the Rose of England carved from a large ruby, with emerald leaves, surrounded with large pearls and relieved with lilac enamel, having her Royal Highness’s monogram of A M M, the initials of Alice Maud Mary, in diamonds, rubies and emeralds”, noted the News Letter.