He then secured a parcel of them with a vowed intention of planting them at Windsor, as a memorial of their interesting ever to be remembered visitation of this day.” 2 After the visit the entire party reembarked on the steamer for an evening of dining and dancing. To honor and show respect for George Washington, the New York Times reported, “he received several large horse chestnuts and with his own hands planted them at the tomb of Washington. He walked the grounds and finally spent time at the tomb. While on the property he toured the mansion, where he and others took notice of the key to the Bastille. The unrestored mansion and tomb impressed and pleased the guests. The Prince’s two-hour visit at Mount Vernon was a success. Riggs, “ is very glad that you are to be one of the Baron’s attendants, and doubts not you will expatiate largely upon the patriotism of the association and upon their future intentions when they get the money!” 1 Cunningham entrusted Upton Herbert and Riggs to receive the Prince, asking them to honor Mount Vernon, the Ladies’ Association, and Washington’s legacy. Sarah Tracy, Cunningham’s secretary, wrote to George W. Miss Cunningham anticipated the Prince’s arrival and communicated to the resident staff her desire to present George Washington’s home as an ongoing patriotic restoration process. ![]() In October 1860 Ann Pamela Cunningham and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association (MVLA) had recently taken over the estate. The steamer arrived at the Mount Vernon wharf by early afternoon. On the morning of October 5, he toured Georgetown Heights on horseback, after which he returned to Capitol Hill and boarded the steamboat Harriet Lane. The White House room in which he slept was later named after him. A lavish dinner and reception welcomed him to the nation’s capital. ![]() Upon arriving in Washington on October 3, the Prince's reception group included President James Buchanan, the President's niece Miss Harriet Lane, John Augustine Washington III, and high-ranking British, American, and Canadian officials. Thousands of people met him as he traveled, and international press reported on every aspect of the excursion. Because his time in the United States was considered unofficial, he traveled under the title Lord Baron Renfrew. To foster positive relations, the Prince included the United States on his trip, entering through Detroit on September 20. For the next two months, the Prince conducted an official state visit throughout Canada, including his official inauguration of the Queen Victoria Bridge in Montreal on August 25. Setting sail from England on July 10, 1860, they arrived in St. Edward Albert, the Prince of Wales, along with trusted British officials, made plans and secured funding. ![]() This 1860 visit took place on the brink of civil war, and in the earliest stages of the Ladies’ Association’s ownership of Mount Vernon.Īfter the Canadian government invited British royalty to North America, Queen Victoria refused to cross the ocean but agreed to send her eldest son once he came of age. The Prince’s journey highlighted North American cities, governments, and important sites, and started the trend for foreign visitors to accompany the current President in exploring both Washington, D.C., and Mount Vernon. The Prince of Wales visited Mount Vernon on October 5, 1860, the first time a member of the British royal family visited America and Mount Vernon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |