received it at his hands were Sir
Henry Bessemer, M. Chevalier and Sir Henry Doulton.

On July 13th His Royal Highness, on behalf of the Queen, and accompanied
by the Princess Louise and the grand officers of the Household, opened
with elaborate ceremony the new Thames Embankment. Three days later he
opened the Workmen's International Exhibition at Islington in the name
of the Queen. During this year the war between France and Germany caused
the Prince and his family keen interest and many natural anxieties. He
arranged for a special telegraph service so that news might reach him at
once and took an active part in associations and subscription lists for
aid to the wounded on both sides. The Royal family had such close
relations with that of Prussia through the Princess Royal and with that
of France through long personal friendship with the Emperor and Empress
that the position of individual members, like the Heir Apparent, and his
wife could be easily understood.

The Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences was opened with stately and
imposing ceremony by the Queen on March 29th, 1871. When Her Majesty,
accompanied by the Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal
family, had taken her place on the dais of a Hall containing eight
thousand people and an orchestra of twelve hundred persons, under Sir
Michael Costa, the Prince of Wales advanced and, as President of the
Provisional Committee, detailed the origin and history of the project.
He then, after receiving a formal reply, declared the Hall open in the
name of the Queen. On May 7th, following, the Prince presided at a
dinner in aid of the Artists' Orphan Fund and, after explaining its
useful objects, expressed the wish that further contributions would be
offered for the purpose in view. At the close of the affair the
Treasurer announced subscriptions to the amount of $60,000, of which a
check for $525 was from the Royal chairman. The Earlswood Asylum for
Idiots was again visited by the Prince on May 17th, when he presided at
the anniversary dinner of the institution in London and explained its
continued progress. Subscriptions of $21,000 were announced, of which
$525 were given by the Prince. The same result followed his chairmanship
of a dinner in aid of the Farningham Homes for Little Boys on June 2nd.
He pointed out that the institution was still in need despite a recent
anonymous contribution of $5000. Before the close of the evening some
$17,000 had been s