The Prince’s palace was built during the Great Frederic’s reign, and it is recorded that when the architect applied for a design the King, who was out of humor, said, pointing to a mahogany bureau with a zigzag front standing near: “Model it after that, adding as little architectural frippery as possible.” In front stands Rauch’s famous statue of the great ruler, nearby is the Alter Schloss, city residence of Prussian monarchs, the new Opera House, and many handsome public buildings. Christmas Eve, 1847, though bitter cold, was bright and sunny, the air clear and crisp was musical with sleigh bells, and the streets, though ice bound, were gay with rejoicing crowds evidently imbued with holiday influences. Directly after breakfast we went to the Thiergarten Lake to witness the delightful entertainment given there daily by Berlin’s far-famed Skating Club. The lake, large, smooth, solid, mirroring a translucent sky, seemed with its banks lined with brilliantly costumed spectators, to suggest and invite winter sport. A military band, sheltered in a warm enclosure, played a succession of inspiring airs, trained voices often joining in and enthusing both onlookers and performers. The skaters executing many picturesque movements, artistic pantomimes, exciting games, and dancing polkas, mazurkas, cotillions, waltzes, were reputed the most skilful in the world. Meyerbeer, who was a frequent visitor, is said to have conceived there the beautiful skating scene in the opera _Le Prophete_ he was then composing. The costumes of the skaters were tasteful and appropriate, the girls wearing short, narrow, heavy cloth skirts, with tight fitting bodices, snug hoods or hats, and a profusion of bright bows, rosettes and scarfs. The men were mostly in uniform, their gay sashes, brilliant orders and decorations enhancing the charm of their lithe, graceful figures. There were no accidents, no untoward occurrences, and the glorious morning proved a delightful prelude to an unforgetable evening. Fraulein von Boyen had given us minute directions as to our costumes and the prescribed etiquette, saying: “Dress simply and inexpensively, be careful never to turn your backs on royal personages, never address remarks or questions to them, allowing them the initiative in conversation.” Promptly at three o’clock we alighted at the palace _porte cochere_, and ascending the marble steps, at the top and bottom of which stood armed sentinels, were received by liveried ushers and conducted through the beautiful hall and up the flower-lined stairs to the state drawing rooms where a lady-in-waiting met us and accompanied us through a number of superbly-furnished, beautifully-decorated rooms to the _salle de musique_, where Fraulein von Boyen welcomed us, and, escorting us to the centre of the _salle_, presented us to Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess.