During this year the Heir Apparent had the misfortune to lose his much-loved sister the Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, to whose careful nursing he had owed so much in his own serious illness and the sad features of whose death--as a result of nursing her children through an attack of malignant diphtheria--had proved such a shock to the British public. The Prince and Princess spent some months in retirement after this occurrence and had also to mourn the death of the gallant young Prince Imperial of France, in whose career they had taken a deep personal interest--not only on account of his loveable qualities, but because of the long friendship between the Royal house of England and the widowed Empress Eugenie, to whose lonely hopes and pride the loss was so terrible. The Prince of Wales helped the stricken lady in the details of the funeral, acted as the principal pall-bearer and showed his sympathy in many ways, of which the wreath of violets sent from Marlborough, with the following inscription, was an incident: "A token of affection and regard for him who lived the most spotless of lives and died a soldier's death fighting for our cause in Zululand. From Albert Edward and Alexandra, July 12, 1879." His Royal Highness strongly supported the proposal to erect a Memorial in Westminster Abbey, but even his great influence could not overcome the international prejudices which the suggestion aroused and he had to wait till January, 1883, when the "United Service Memorial" was erected at Woolwich, and, accompanied by his two sons and the Dukes of Edinburgh and Cambridge, he was able to unveil the statue and fittingly eulogize the Royal French youth who had fought and died for the country which had been so kind to his parents. [Illustration: QUEEN ALEXANDRA The Queen Consort of Edward VII] [Illustration: ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, AT BRUSSELS, APRIL, 1900] [Illustration: FLEET STREET, LONDON This is one of the most interesting thoroughfares of London. On all great state occasions it is beautifully and lavishly decorated. In the distance is seen the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, where a great memorial service was held, attended by the Corporation of London, great numbers of officials and great throngs of mourning people.] [Illustration: ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL, WINDSOR]