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20 July 1883 — Berlin | |
Friday. 20th July [1883]. Walked out with Henry in the morning to see the Mon Bijou Palace which contains the Hohenzollern collection being the family relic of the Imperial House from the time of Frederick the Great downwards. We had to go thro’ the rooms with a large party which was rather tiresome & long. From there we went to the Picture Gallery & Henry asked for Dr Bode the Director & he took us round & showed us where some of the rooms were being rearranged. We walked home to lunch. Henry went out to the Bank afterwards. I sat at home & read. At 4.30 we went off to the Potsdam station & took our places for Wildpark Station. There we were met by Mlle Gersdorff the C. Pss’s lady in waiting whom we had known at Venice with her. We drove to the garden of the Neues Palais where the C. Pss, Princess Victoria, the 2 little Princesses &c were all playing lawn tennis. There was a sort of tent where the tea table was arranged & the indian chairs & tables Mr Malcolm had sent the Pss were there. The C. Prince soon came there. We had tea & then lawn tennis began. I played with Ct Seckendorff & Pss against the C. Princess, the other little Princess & a gentleman in waiting & our side won altho’ I played very badly. Then at 7. we walked back to the Palace & the C. Pce & Pss insisted upon showing us to our rooms which were on the ground floor & she told us they were the rooms always given to the P. of Wales & all her brothers & sisters whenever they came to stay here. We each have a bedroom & sittingroom. In my bedroom the Crown Prince was born & it has all the old silk hangings & wooden silvered mouldings of the last century. All was most comfortable & well arranged. On our tables we found a card which we were begged to put in our pockets to show to the sentinels when we went in & out alone of the Palace. Under the royal Arms there is “Legitimation zum Eintritt in das Konigl: Neue Palais bei Potsdam für Lady Layard.” At the back it says that if lost a new card will be provided for the sum of 3 marks wh is given to the poor—& the card to be returned on departure. We dressed for dinner. I wore a short white gown & as I went out at 8 the servant said I must wear my bonnet. I was putting it on when Pss Victoria came & said I must take a warm shawl wh I did. On the terrace we found the C. Prince & Pss & the governess & ladies, Herr Litmann the and a painter Herr . We walked to the place in the garden where the supper was prepared & one was glad to have on something warm as it grew very chilly & there were a great many mosquitoes. We began with a sort of syllabub—then tea—then made dishes & then fruit. The Pss said she had been obliged to keep to German fashions but had tried to make the hours like those in England, & that they dined at 2 o’cl & called this 8 o’cl meal “supper.” When it was over we walked back to the Palace & after a few turns in the Palace went in to the drawing room. It was a splendid evening—the moon was clear bright & red & the weather seemed settled again. We sat talking to the Pss & looking over books with illustrations by Hensel wh are beautiful. The Capt. played the piano a little. The ladies in waiting sat apart & talked together. Mlle v. Gersdorff played Fox & Goose with Capt. part of the evening & at 10 the C. P. & Pss bid us good night & with Pss Victoria left the room. We all retired & Henry & I played cribbage till 11 when we went to bed. | |
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