C/o: HRH Princess William of Prussia, Potsdam, Germany
My dearest Pollie,
You see I have reached Potsdam in safety. I had such a delightful time coming here, you know. I told you I was coming by way of Antwerp. Well I left London on Thursday 11th inst. at 8 p.m. reaching Harwich at 10 o’clock. I went on board and the steamer started at noon. We had a very stormy passage so didn’t arrive at Antwerp Quay until 11.30 a.m., two hours late. I at once drove to the Hotel St. Antoine in the Cathedral Square, where I was very comfortable indeed. After I had had some luncheon, I went to see the sights. I began, as most people do, with the Cathedral which is a magnificent building.
One of the greatest attractions are the Ruben’s great master-pieces. There is quite a business transaction to go through before one is allowed to see them though!
First you pay a shilling for a ticket to view them - While these services go on they are covered with green beige.
Then as soon as one enters - a guide comes forward and declares that you will understand nothing, unless you engage his services. After he has given a description of all the chapels and pictures, he assures you that no English Visitors leave Antwerp without seeing Ruben’s house and the Studio where he painted his famous pictures. So of course you agree to go. It’s really quite a hard day’s work seeing everything connected with this great painter. There is a beautiful monument erected to his memory and his chair is kept in the national Museum.
The chimes of the Cathedral clock are not soon forgotten, they are so beautiful.
I left Antwerp on Saturday morning at 9o’clock and arrived at Cologne at 4, the same day. I stayed at the Hotel d’Dom, just next to the Cathedral. Do you know it’s been one of my daydreams for years, to see this wonderful cathedral? You may remember it being finished in 1880, only more than 600 after its commencement. The afternoon light was just right for seeing it at it’s best, when I arrived. In the stronger light of morning you see the parts have been restored too clearly and the whole erection looks patchy. Fortunately the night was moonlight and the view was so beautiful from my bedroom window, that I could scarcely persuade myself to go to bed.
But I was up, had my breakfast and was out by 8 o’clock next morning as I wanted to see some of the numerous churches and go to services at the Cathedral.
I had to leave at noon for Berlin where I arrived at 11.30, the same night. I slept at the Central Hotel and came on here the next morning.
The Princess {Augusta Victoria – born Princess of Schleswig-Holstein – also known as "Dona"} is perfectly charming, she shook hands with me most kindly and asked about my journey and the next morning she brought me some English books to read and told me she had plenty more when I had finished those. She speaks English fairly well and so does the Prince, {Wilhelm, son of the Crown Prince, he becomes Kaiser Wilhelm II in two years} her husband - but with a very foreign accent.
My duties are light and very pleasant. I think I told you there are three German nurses and there are two footmen who wait on the children’s rooms and there are two carriages for their special use. The young Princes drive every afternoon. I go with them as a rule every alternate day. It’s great fun driving out with them.
Potsdam is as much a military town as Aldershot and when and wherever we meet troops they always salute. Each time we go out or come in the Castle gates the guards turn out. If we walk in the mornings, a footman always follows at respectful distance,
There are many beautiful Royal Residences about here, several of which I have visited. Today we have driven out to Babelsberg, the Emperor’s Summer Castle. It’s a lovely place built on a wooded hill, overlooking a large lake.
Last Saturday evening I went to a Grand Concert at which some Princesses were present. Sunday was the Crown Princess’s {Princess Victoria, the Princess Royal of England – Queen Victoria's oldest child} birthday (she is mother of Prince William) and we were to go to Berlin for the day.
At quarter to 8 in the morning we left the castle in three Royal carriages. In the first, the three young Princes, Frau Heiner (Superintendent of the children’s department) and myself. In the next carriage were the lady and gentlemen in waiting and last the Prince and Princess.
The Royal Waiting -room at Potsdam Station is very nice, though not nearly as smart as Berlin, the platform at both stations had been carpeted and railed off. We all travelled together in the same saloon carriage. The Prince is very merry and kept making all sorts of funny jokes. The young Princes are very fond of their father and one got a very untidy head just before we reached Berlin, so he asked his father to comb his hair for him, which the Prince did, but in such a funny way, as made us all laugh. On arrival at the Crown Princess’s Palace, I went with my charges into the room where the Royal family were at breakfast. Later on I saw them all again. The Crown Prince and Princess both spoke to me. The Crown Prince was most nice and asked if this was my first visit to Germany and so on.
We dined most grandly in a magnificent apartment and returned to Potsdam at 5 o’clock.
I find this language most difficult at present.
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Always your loving cousin
A.E.Leslie.
PS This
photo of the young Princes was taken sometime ago, but is the only one I can get.
My dearest Pollie,
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I must begin to tell you about Christmas here - you know the Germans think much of Xmas, more if anything than we English!
So for weeks before grand preparations were going on - day after day the Princess {Augusta} and her ladies were busy making clothes for poor children. On the 23rd HRH gave a treat to 150 children. It was arranged in a splendid large marble corridor and to make it more interesting for them, they were - by the Princess’s wish allowed to come in at the Grand Entrance, which is used as a rule on State occasions only.
It was beautiful to see the children’s pleasure and such presents they had! Fancy each girl getting a change of under linen, a warm petticoat, a nice dress - not made Charity fashion, but trimmed with velvet etc. - and as well shawls and comfortable hoods, such as the girls here wear and three or four books and a big basket of oranges and nuts. The boys were served accordingly.
Then on the 24th in the large saloon, four big trees were lighted for the Royal family. At three o’clock in the afternoon, two of the German nurses and I went with the little Princes into the Princess’s saloon where the poor little boys had to solemnly wish their father a Happy Xmas and then sing some Christmas songs, all the ladies and gentlemen of the Court were present. There was also an officer from the Duke of Edinburgh and poor creature he was so nervous he made me feel quite ill, especially when he tried to go out of the room backwards. All the time the Prince was most kindly trying to put him at his ease.
Then we all went into the Xmas trees and saw all the presents, which were very numerous and beautiful, amongst which were things from the Queen {Victoria} and Prince of Wales.
On Christmas Day I started soon after 8 in the morning for Berlin to go to the English Church there, which you may remember was built a few years ago by the English residents in Berlin to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Crown Princess’s wedding. It’s a beautiful little church and we had a very nice bright service, but the decoration reminded me more of India than England, as they were most choice tropical plants sent by the Crown Princess. Sad to tell holly does not grow here, at least it’s very rare, so I missed the bright red berries but mistletoe is plentiful, as the Prince remarked to one of his officers on the 24th.
I expect you saw the announcement of the birth of another Prince in the newspaper. It gave great satisfaction throughout the country and here the town was gaily decorated on January 29th - only two days after the Prince’s birthday. A salute of 71 guns was fired at midday and do you know that a German Prince’s income commences from the day of his birth? A great pity it’s not so with all children, is it not? The little Prince was a remarkably fine child when born but has not been at all well lately, my private opinion is that there are too many people in the Princess’s apartments, I believe there are ten or eleven.
The Christening is fixed for Saturday next 12th inst. and I expect it will be rather a grand ceremony as the aged Emperor {Wilhelm I, he was born in 1797, and thus now 90 – but still the Emperor!} and Empress come from Berlin with the Crown Prince and Princess and all the rest of the Royal Family. Tomorrow the Duchess of Schleswig Holstein (Princess’s Mother) and her two daughters come to the castle.
But I shall have more to tell you about this later - I went into Berlin yesterday, for service. Indeed I am learning to know the best part of Berlin almost as well as I know the West of London. I saw the Emperor sitting at his window, as he does daily, so that all who wish to do so, may see him - he is a brave old man! Only a few months ago a man threw a stone into this very room, but the Emperor still sits in the same place.
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There is some talk of our coming to England in the summer for the Jubilee rejoicing, but I don’t much think it will end in anything - I think it most likely that war will be declared before then. You ask which I like best - boys or girls, I don’t think I mind much, but the latter, though giving, more trouble with regards to dress etc., are more easily managed. These little Princes are born soldiers and talk of little else from morning until night.
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Always your loving cousin Ada.
Marmor Palace, November 26th 1887.
My dearest Pollie,
So many thanks for your letter of Sept 28th, you will doubtless think that I might have answered it before, but some how I have not found time until now and I am firmly resolved that this must reach you for the 29th instant.
You seem to have been having a nice bright lively summer. It was a great disappointment to me, not to come to Aldershot for the Great Review. It’s a dreadful confession to be obliged to make, but I must own that I have never seen a review in England and here I have seen so many. Indeed I find I know very little about English soldiers at all in spite of my voyage on a troopship and detention amongst soldiers in Egypt four years ago. Here, it goes without saying that I hear and see much of soldiers and the children have true born military spirits, from the moment they wake in the morning till bedtime, soldiers, as a rule, is the one theme of conversation. It’s quite ridiculous, considering how very young he is, to find how much the eldest child noticed, during the short time he was in England, concerning the differences between English and German soldiers - "Why don’t the English soldiers march as ours do? Why don’t the English soldiers salute like the Germans?" are some of the questions he is continually asking me.
I am very glad you enjoyed your visit to the Isle of Wight so much. I am so happy to hear that the children speak of me sometimes, dear Chicks! I wish I could see them. Every year when Christmas comes round I wish I were coming to Aldershot, but as far as I know at present, there is no prospect whatever of me coming to England just yet.
We have had a beautiful Autumn, cold, dry and bright, but now the weather has changed and is quite too horrible - we are still in the country, but go to the old castle in Potsdam on December 1st where we are to spend Christmas and leave for Berlin directly afterwards. It’s rather tiresome to be obliged to pack up and go to the town castle for such a short visit. We would all - Princess William especially - like to remain here until we go to Berlin. But the Court Marshall first and the Princess next, are the ruling spirits. The latter won't go to Berlin yet, and former won't let us stay here for two reasons, first the palace is only a summer residence and not meant to live in during part of German winter. It’s built almost entirely of marble - Marmor is the German word for marble, so you see it’s called the Marble Palace - and many of the rooms and halls have polished floors and no carpets. We have double windows and great big, big fires always burning but still it’s difficult to keep the rooms warm.
You know there’s much water about Potsdam, here on the banks of a large lake and beyond only separated by a narrow strip of land flows the River Havel and there are many other lakes in the neighbourhood. I have heard it said that the
Crown Prince’s illness is partly due to this fact, the New Palace, the Imperial Summer residence, being quite near the Havel. Then again it’s said that his grand mother, Queen Louisa of Prussia, suffered from cancer in the stomach. But whatever the true source, the reality is sad enough and the whole country is in a great state of sorrowful alarm. For there is in truth scarcely a reasonable hope of his recovery.I heard only yesterday, from someone who had seen him six weeks or so back, that his general condition was even then, much worse than it was reported to be. But you would scarcely believe how quiet everything is kept, the object of course being that no very alarming accounts shall get into the newspapers.
As an instance of the secrecy that’s practised - when Prince William was summoned to San Remo 3 weeks ago, he did not stay in the house with his father, but in an hotel near by and during the few days he was there, not one of his suite saw or heard anything of the Crown Prince or Imperial household. It’s a very unhappy state of affairs, for in the course of nature it's impossible that the aged Emperor can live much longer.
Prince William is said to have good qualities and is very popular, but apparently the people are not very anxious to have him for Kaiser, it's whispered that his private life has not been so blameless as his father’s and he is also said to have a strong inclination for war with France, but older people have not forgotten the war of ‘70 and now that the country is more prosperous than it has ever been before, wise men are not anxious to see a return of the old state of things.
However various significant events are taking place, Prince William, who, has hitherto been Colonel of 1st Regiment of Hussars, is now to be made a General.
There is a very bitter feeling against Sir M. MacKenzie, as it’s said he has blundered and it is also said that there’s a very bitter feeling growing against the Crown Princess and if the worst happened, it would be scarcely safe for her to return to Berlin - the next sharp attack in the Crown Prince’s illness is expected in three or four weeks.
The 29th October was Princess William’s birthday and the dear old Emperor came from Berlin for dinner, but, he was very feeble and when he stood up to drink to the Princess’s health, he let the glass fall out of his hand and all the red wine went over the lovely dress that the Princess was wearing.
Prince William chose some odd presents for his wife, amongst other things, six bonnets!!! Report says that 40 were sent for him to make his choice from and HRH and his adjutants managed all the business alone without applying to the Princess’s ladies for help. They are somewhat startling in shape and style but the Princess bravely wears them.
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I hope to go into Berlin to the English Church in the morning and I am asked to drive with some dear German friends when I return.
I went to a splendid concert last Thursday with these same friends. I am getting on slowly but surely with the language.
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Ada.
Potsdam December 22nd 1887.
My dearest Pollie,
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We have had much snow today, to everybody’s joy, the children’s especially, who have had a pailful in their playroom and had fine fun snow balling all who came near.
Now I must say good bye and will try and write at greater length after Christmas.
With much love and many good wishes to all for Christmas and the New Year from
Your loving cousin
A. E.Leslie.
{Unfortunately there is almost a year's gap in the letters. During this time the old Emperor Wilhelm I died (8th March 1888), his son Frederick III had become King of Prussia, and German Emperor or Kaiser. He was known to have terminal cancer and died 99 days later (15th June 1888) to be succeeded by Wilhelm II who reigned as Kaiser until the end of the First World War.
Frederick's wife – now referred to in the letters as the Empress – was Queen Victoria's eldest daughter Victoria}
Windsor Castle November 27th 1888
My dearest Pollie,
You will, of course, have seen by the newspapers days ago that we have arrived in England. I was so very glad to come – you know the dear old Queen {Victoria} came to meet the
Empress at Port Victoria.It was my first voyage in the "Victoria and Albert". Last year I crossed in the royal yacht "Osborne", the latter is smaller than the former, else it’s much the same Both are perfectly fitted according to the newest ideas, the electric lighting arrangements would I think interest >>.
Here we are very comfortably lodged only we found the rooms in the castle very small after the great barrack-like German castles, but these are in many ways much more comfortable. You cannot imagine how pleased I am to be able to sit beside an English fire again after being accustomed to the closed stoves in Germany.
I have already been over many royal apartments and staterooms here and have arrived at the conclusion that although the Germans are very rich in castles and royal palaces yet there is nothing in the whole {German} Empire to compare with Windsor Castle.
We go to Osborne with the Queen and Royal family for Christmas, and in January, it's said, on a visit to the Prince and Princess of Wales at Sandringham.
Later I take a long holiday, when I hope to come and see you all -I am afraid it will be sometime before I come to England again as I go to Greece in October next year with Princess Sophie.
>>>>>>the little present of lamp shades which I send? I brought them from Berlin for you, where they were most fashionable.
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Your ever loving cousin Ada.
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My dearest Pollie,
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I hear that the Empress and Princesses will remain here until March and I do not wish to take a long holiday until they leave - Princess Sophie rather wants me to take a month’s holiday now so that I return with her to Germany. But I don’t wish to do that for various reasons, one is that I naturally like to spend as much time as possible in England and of course by remaining on duty now and taking my holiday afterwards it gives me a nice long time.
I don’t know how long it may be before I visit England again, as it’s very likely that the Princess’ marriage will take place early in September, or at the latest in the first part of October, therefore it’s not likely that I come to England again before going to Greece. I hear that the King {of Greece} wanted the princess to go there on a visit soon, but I don’t think she will go, as it’s such a long journey either from England or Germany.
It’s so nice being here in the Isle of Wight, the air is so deliciously fresh and nice and I do so love the sea, but it’s not quite Christmas weather and save that there is a great commotion and feeling of Christmas in the house, one would scarcely believe that it was the grand festive season.
Of course much of the brightness has been spoilt by the fact that Princess Beatrice has just returned from the funeral of her father-in-law. We had a special funeral service here last Wednesday, at which, by the Queen’s desire, the whole Household was present.
The dear old Queen is so good and nice but so short. Her Majesty’s photographs always give one the idea that she is very much taller than she really is.
One of my greatest pleasures in Windsor was, and here is, visiting the Nurseries, the little Prince Alexander and the Princess Victoria of Battenburg are the sweetest little things you can imagine. The little Prince is two and the little Princess rather more than a year. If I possibly can I will get you a photograph of them.
And now I must close as I have so many letters to write today >>
From your ever loving Cousin
Ada.
8 Stamsby Road, East Poplar, March 7th 1889
My dearest Pollie,
You will think me dreadfully unkind not to have written to you before, but I will make up for it and tell you all the news verbally when I come, as I can do next week, if you will have me.
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Ever your loving cousin
Ada.
The Schloss, Homburg April 20th 1889.
My dearest Pollie,
So very many thanks for your letter of the 12th inst. and also for the letter enclosed. The latter was a most amusing epistle from the "Black Man" of Windsor Castle, you remember him don’t you? He writes to say that the photographs are now ready in two positions, one mounted on horseback and the other standing. The horseback ones are the best, but he will wait until he hears from me, as to which I prefer, before sending them off. Did you ever hear such nonsense? As though he could not have sent the best and have finished with the whole thing.
Yes, thanks dear, I had a very good journey from England. I left Victoria Station on the evening of Saturday the 7th instant and reached Berlin at 12o’clock on the following night. The crossing was fairly smooth but the weather was very foggy during a part of the time. The fog signals made one feel rather nervous, but we were not really delayed and arrived at Flushing at half past six on Sunday morning.
I had some rather busy, though pleasant days in Berlin. I was very dissipated you might think, when I tell you that I was out nearly every night. One evening some friends invited me to go and see "Micado" played in German and it amused me much.
We left Berlin last Saturday evening at nine, reached Frankfurt on the Maine twelve hours later where we had breakfast and came on here directly afterwards.
Homburg is only forty minutes distance by train from Frankfurt, the former is a very nice place indeed and I am sure I shall much enjoy staying here the whole summer. We expect to remain until September 1st. I mean to be anything but idle and have already made arrangements with a lady to give me German lessons. She says that I speak very well indeed but that my grammar is faulty. This I knew myself and it makes me shy to speak before the Princess {Sophie, the Empress' daughter – she is now Ada's employer} or with well educated people. So I mean to work hard at it for two or three months, after which I am going to polish up my French as this latter will be more use to me in Greece than German. I have not attempted any Greek yet but I must soon begin - the time will pass away so quickly now.
There are scarcely any English here at present, but the hotels and boarding houses are all being rapidly prepared and many visitors are expected during the next few weeks. As a rule the season does not commence till June, but as the Empress arrived so early, many others are expected to follow her Majesty’s example.
Please remember me very kindly to everybody especially to Mrs and Miss Charman. I think of you all so much and wish we were not so far apart. I have such a large pretty room and it would be such fun if we could only have little tea and working parties here. But alas! it’s impossible.
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Princess Sophie has been to see my room and admired all my photographs and things.
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Much love from Ada.
The Schloss Homburg June 1st 1889
My dearest Pollie,
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It's intensely hot and the place is rapidly filling with visitors especially English and American, in fact we had quite a big congregation at the English Church on Ascension Day. It's very comfortable spending a summer here - early in the mornings music plays at the mineral springs and wells, where the grand cure, drinking, goes on. After breakfast I have to go with my Princess to the Mineral Baths. During the afternoons a band plays under the trees in the Cure Garten where I generally spend an hour or two listening to the music and reading German. The evenings are mostly very pleasant as there is nearly always something fresh going on - and if there is nothing else, the gardens are illuminated and the bands play.
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Believe me always. Your loving cousin
Ada E.Leslie.
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Schloss Homburg v.d.Hoe July 22nd 1889.
My dearest Pollie,
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I have been having a very good time here on the whole, though unfortunately I have not been at all well. I was ordered to make "The Cure" you know, soon after we arrived and instead of all the abominable water I drank doing me good, it just upset my digestion - which is a very serious business to cure. During the last few days I have been really quite unwell and on Saturday, instead of writing letters for the messenger, I was in bed all day. So now I have much writing to do today to make up for it.
I have a great deal of business to attend to now, as you will imagine, in regard to Princess Sophie’s trousseau. We have such large quantities of all kinds of things sent here, from many of the large Berlin and London shops, to choose from, and there is always so much to write back about the different things. The English letters are soon disposed of, but the French and German ones are distracting.
However I am thankful to say I am really getting on with German now, but one is obliged to work very hard to surmount the many difficulties that we English meet in trying to learn German. Still independently of my position requiring me to know foreign languages, I am really glad to learn them because everybody who wishes to be anybody in these days must be more or less learned.
Homburg is very gay and fashionable now. There are about 7000 visitors here, most of whom are English or Americans and of course the fact that the Empress and her daughters are here, draws many of noble or Royal birth.
All reports that we are coming to England soon, are I’m sorry to say, false. The Empress and Princess Sophie may go to Denmark soon, but nothing is yet settled.
Trusting you are all well. I am.
With much love ever your loving cousin Ada.
Homburg v.d.Hohe August 16th 1889
My dearest Pollie,
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Did any of you manage to see the Emperor {Wilhelm II} when he was at Aldershot? From all accounts he must have had a splendid reception from the English people.
We are very gay here now, the Prince of Wales {the future King Edward VII} arrived two days ago and the Duke of Cambridge came a week before - poor old man! I hope he brought plenty of umbrellas with him, for it has rained at intervals daily ever since he arrived.
Miss Inglis (Reader to the Empress) and I were much amused the other night, it was the same on which the Prince of Wales arrived and as HRH only reached his Villa between six and seven, nobody expected he would be in the gardens that night. The weather was rather cool and damp and so the crowds of people were walking on the terraces or about the highly illuminated paths, very few were sitting.
But Miss Inglis and I having made a long tour through the woods in the afternoon were very glad to take possession of a long row of unoccupied chairs and listen to the very good band that was playing. But imagine our surprise, when, after sitting there for a few minutes, we saw the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge accompanied by the Duke of Mecklenbury-Strelity and several ladies and gentlemen coming straight towards us, the Prince of Wales naturally leading the way and not stopping until quite close to us.
Then he sat down with only two chairs between himself and Miss Inglis - the latter is a somewhat handsome woman of about forty eight and always dresses splendidly, the Prince of course, recognised her - she has been with the Empress for about 14 years, at first doubtless thought that she was one of his London friends, but suddenly remembered who she was - stopped short without speaking - for although the Prince speaks kindly to all the Empress’ people in the house, he does not do more than lift his hat in public.
It's quite amusing to see him walking and sitting about amongst all the people. As most of the visitors here are high born, they know that he wishes to be treated like an ordinary gentleman - they leave him alone, but naturally there are a few who stare at him as though he were a White Elephant .
You shall have The Queen’s hand-writing later.
Ever your loving
Ada.
My dearest Pollie,
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Believe me always. Your loving cousin Ada.