"Permit me to inform you and dear Elisabeth that the premature hints of the Press regarding the betrothal of my eldest son, William, to Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, eldest daughter of the late Fritz of Schleswig-Holstein-Augustenburg, are quite true. Mutual and deep-seated inclination has brought the two together, and this fulfils the sincere wish of my wife and myself to greet as our daughter-in-law a Princess so distinguished by gifts of spirit, heart, and temperament, as well as by dignified grace. God grant that this union of hearts may one day be a blessing to the Empire." _From the_ GERMAN EMPEROR, _March 5th, 1880_.[23] [23] Accompanying the Order of the Black Eagle. "MY DEAR COUSIN, "At last we have arrived at the goal of our long-cherished wishes. It has cost many a hard and bitter struggle before we could see you standing independent before the world! May the proverb come true which says, 'Slow but sure.' "I have never concealed the sympathy which I have always cherished for you alike personally and as a Hohenzollern; but when many are striving to the same goal and each goes his own way, time and sacrifices are required until they are at length all gathered together! So I too have had to temporise in order to recognise you at last before the world. "May God give His blessing to your now independent Government and bless you, your consort, and your country! "Your sincere Cousin and Friend, "WILLIAM." _From_ PRINCE BISMARCK, _May 20th, 1880_. "I share your Royal Highness's regret that the acquisitions resulting from the peace, apart from the dissolution of the relations to the Porte, were not in proportion with the achievements and valour of your Royal Highness's army; but, having regard to the dignity and weight of the Powers by which Roumania is surrounded, and also to the difficulty of securing a _modus vivendi_ amongst them, which would give us peace for the time being, I do not know of any possible means by which greater advantages could have been obtained for Roumania. "The difficulty of the historical situation is that on the far bank of the Danube there are no national _points d'appui_ to strengthen Roumania, and, on the other side, the population belongs to the two great neighbouring Empires. To live in peace with these is necessary for the consolidation of affairs, and to select at least one of them as a certain ally will always be the object of Roumanian policy. In this historical situation the acquisition of the Dobrudscha was a _pis-aller_, whose favourable aspect--the possession of the sea-coast--will increase in value during the further development of your resources." * * * * * In reply to his father, who urged him to fulfil his promise to return home after an absence of six years, Prince Charles wrote: