Bertie gets Wed !
Albert Prince of Wales, (Bertie) married Princess Alexandra of Denmark
on Tuesday 10th March 1863. The above picture appeared in the Illustrated London Times, the wedding
took place in St Georges Chapel, Windsor. The wedding was the social highlight
of the year, there had been little to celebrate since the death of Prince Albert. The prince went down to Gravesend to greet the Bride and
the Danish royal family. The roads all the way back London were lined with waving
crowds, which became thicker and more enthusiastic as the couple arrived
in London, the crowds were kept back from the road and carriages by the
overuse of the truncheon by the London police. The royal party took a train to
Windsor as did most of the nobility and aristocracy.
The journey to Windsor was
uneventful but the return journey with a lack of trains was what we would call an
omni shambles to -day, with both the aristocracy and the hoe ploy needing to
use the trains to get back to London. There are stories in the papers and
letters and diaries of countesses MP's and even the Archbishop of Canterbury
cramming in to third class carriages for safety. The Marchioness of
Westminster was one of these, she was wearing Half a Million pounds worth of diamonds at the time.
In Redditch a letter appeared
in the February 5 copy of the Redditch Idecatuer from Mr Munslow suggesting“a Sunday
school demonstration to be made in this place on the auspicious day. Carried out
by committee composed of leading officers.........., and supported by public
subscription”.
A committee was formed a
meeting was held in the National School room. The chairman of the meeting used
the opportunity to lament the limited provisions of rooms in Redditch that
could be used as public meeting places. As he said the “constant use of the
school rooms for miscellaneous purposes impeded the business of the schools”. The
boy’s night School had been recently considered the best in the country by the
school examiner.
On a the question of a general
holiday for the workers, Mr Osborne said that he would be giving his work force
a payed general holiday “he did not think it right to enforce the abstaining
from work on such as could not afford to lose a day.” Mr Harrison thought the
work force could make up six days in five. Mr James suggested” a deputation from
the operatives to wait on the various Manufactures, to ascertain their Ideas
and conveniences of the master.” A cope
out as some the workers would have to beg and then feel obliged to the master
if they were given the time off. A
letter also appeared from a shop assistant asking if the shops would be closing
on the wedding day as the shops Alcester and Bromsgrove would be closed.
Plans were put in place for
the rifle corps. to attended a service in the new church on the green, lead a
procession of 2,000 Sunday school children, then varies dinners would held for
the church and chapel Sunday school Children. The Corp would have their own
dinner and a concert which the ladies would be invited too. The fest ivies
would be paid for by subscription, Birmingham was raising an extra rate to pay
for the festivities, in Redditch some of the large fish hook man factors were
suffering in a poor trading period, so this was considered not an option. Mr Osborne
had thought of supplying all the children with Coventry ribbon Wedding Favours
but the cost was too much. Mr Osborne hoped that people would buy Coventry favours
to help the weavers who were suffering economically
after the customs duty were abolished on
cheap imported silk in 1860.
Oh and the claims of the
ladies should be considered and a BALL was to be held, the first for several decades.
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