gen without losing caste.
Her daughter, the Princess Feodore, the Queen's half-sister, married
Ernest, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and thus established an
interesting connection with perhaps the most widely-spread and most
distinguished of all these families. The House of Hohenlohe would
probably still have been a reigning family, had not the Prince of
Hohenlohe preferred to fight in the Prussian army against Napoleon,
rather than receive gifts from him. His lands were consequently
confiscated and passed to other princes who were less scrupulous.
The family has given two Ministers President to Prussia, a General in
chief command of the Prussian army, a Chancellor to the German Empire,
and one of the most distinguished of modern military writers. They
held, besides their extensive possessions in Wuertemberg and Bavaria,
the County of Gleichen in Saxe-Coburg.

[Pageheading: FAMILY CONNECTIONS]

It will be seen therefore that the Queen was intimately connected with
all classes that are to be found among the ruling families of Germany,
though naturally with the Catholic families, which looked to Austria
and Bavaria for guidance, she had no close ties. But it must be borne
in mind that her connection with Germany always remained a personal
and family matter, and not a political one; this was the fortunate
result of the predominance of the Coburg influence. Had that of the
House of Hanover been supreme, it could hardly have been possible
for the Queen not to have been drawn into the opposition to the
unification of Germany by Prussia, in which the House of Hanover was
bound to take a leading part, in virtue of its position, wealth, and
dignity.

It will be as well here to mention the principal reigning families of
Europe to which Queen Victoria was closely allied through her mother.

The Duchess of Kent's eldest brother, Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Coburg,
was the father of Albert, Prince Consort. Her sister was the wife of
Alexander, Duke of Wuertemberg. The Duchess of Kent's nephew, Ferdinand
(son of Ferdinand, the Duchess's brother), married Maria da Gloria,
Queen of Portugal, and was father of Pedro V. and Luis, both
subsequently Kings of Portugal.

The Duchess's third brother, Leopold (afterwards King of the
Belgians), married first the Princess Charlotte, daughter of George
IV., and afterwards the Princess Louise Marie, eldest daughter of
King Louis Philippe. Prince Augustus (son of Ferdinand, the Duchess
of Kent'