“Yours, very truly,
“Albert Edward.”
The portrait to which the Prince alludes in the preceding letter was a handsome painting of himself, done by Sir John Watson Gordon, and sent to Mr. Buchanan.
The Prince also presented Miss Lane with a set of engravings of the Royal Family, which are now in her possession. A newspaper correspondent, after Mr. Lincoln’s inauguration, wrote that the appearance of the Mansion was very much changed by the removal of the portraits, which had been presented for the White House.
Mr. Buchanan could not let so grave a charge remain unanswered, and wrote to Lord Lyons, whose letter is for the first time published.
“Washington, Dec. 24th, 1861.
“Sir: I have this morning had the honor to receive your letter of the 19th of this month, requesting me to state the facts connected with a present made by His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, to Miss Lane, of a set of engravings representing Her Majesty, the Queen, and other members of the Royal Family.
“The Prince of Wales told me, when His Royal Highness was at Washington, that he had asked Miss Lane to accept these engravings—he said that he had not them with him there, but that he would send them, through me, from Portland. His Royal Highness accordingly sent them on shore immediately after he embarked at that place.
“They were marked with Miss Lane’s name, in the handwriting of General Bruce.
“In obedience to the commands I had received from the Prince, I presented them in his name, to Miss Lane. I had the honor of placing them myself in her hand.