Two years later, in 1857, the marriage was celebrated.

At the last moment, however, it seemed that there might be a hitch.

It was pointed out in Prussia that it was customary for Princes of the blood royal to be married in Berlin, and it was suggested that there was no reason why the present case should be treated as an exception.

When this reached the ears of Victoria, she was speechless with indignation.

In a note, emphatic even for Her Majesty, she instructed the Foreign Secretary to tell the Prussian Ambassador "not to ENTERTAIN the POSSIBILITY of such a question...