"We established ourselves here (Cotroceni) yesterday, and we hope to find more peace and a little consolation for our sorrowing hearts, since we shall now be close to the resting-place of our loved child. The palace in the capital seemed so empty and melancholy to us that we awaited with impatience the day when we could leave it. But we shall feel our loss bitterly even here. Our daily walk is to her grave, where we sit and talk over the legacy of rich and manifold memories left us by our dear child. The whole country mourns for little Marie; this you know, and will have seen from our newspapers; many expressions of sympathy have also reached us from abroad. The German Emperor wrote me a very kind letter in which he shows his true kindness of heart. I also received a letter from the King of Italy, and Elisabeth one from the Queen of England, which was couched in very warm and affectionate terms. The Empress Eugénie also telegraphed her sympathy with me.
"... Elisabeth's nerves are so shaken that the greatest care is necessary. I must confess to you that I am often anxious myself, and am much depressed by pain, sorrow, and apprehension. I get but very little sleep at night, and have repeatedly heard my poor Elisabeth cry out in her dreams: 'Dead, dead!' This cry of pain is each time a fresh stab in my wounded heart!"
Whilst Princess Elisabeth sought to conquer her grief by distraction in translating Roumanian legends and fairy tales, Prince Charles's time was claimed by affairs of State. Great Britain, in pursuit of its Turkophile policy, wished to accredit its new agent, Mr. Vivian, with a letter in which mention was made of the "good relations which exist between England and the Sublime Porte and the territory governed by your Highness." The Roumanian Government declined to receive this communication, but the incident was eventually settled by an exchange of Notes between the English Consul-General and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Vivian had a private audience on May 4 with the Prince, who expressed his opinion very plainly on the Oriental policy of England.
To Prince Charles Anthony, May 26th, 1874.
"We are impatiently awaiting Leopold's arrival, which is promised for Monday. The Prince of Servia will have left us by then; he has truly Oriental ideas of hospitality! We hold aloof from all public entertainments in his honour, and only invite him now and again to dinner or tea. Every time he comes to Cotroceni he brings a wreath, which he places, either with his own hand or by another's, on the grave of our child. He is a very pleasant, bright, and handsome man, an excellent talker; he is by nature gifted with understanding, but is deficient in higher culture. His visit here is making a great impression in Constantinople, which he quitted in anger. The Servians are now on a worse footing with Turkey than we are, since they have been refused Swornik. After voting us addresses of condolence in corpore the Chambers are endeavouring to overthrow the Ministry and to form a coalition."
On June 7 a law was passed providing for the allotment of land in Bessarabia to the Bulgarians expelled from the right bank of the river. This measure was warmly advocated by the Russian Consul-General, but Prince Charles, mindful of Russia's declaration in 1871, was disquieted by the discovery that the Russian Government had not surrendered its hopes of the reacquisition of Bessarabia.
After a short stay in the pleasant groves of breezy Sinaja the journey to Franzensbad was commenced on July 15 in the company of the Hereditary Prince. The Princess of Hohenzollern arrived a few days later alone, Prince Charles Anthony's infirmities keeping him practically a prisoner in his room. Prince Charles was delighted to find that his mother's health was unaffected by her exertions: "We are inexpressibly happy to have her here, but reproach ourselves for having taken her from you, and we are grieved that you should remain alone at Krauchenwies. We fully appreciate the sacrifice you have made for us, and thank you with all our hearts.