February 25 Tuesday – Sam’s notebook: “The Mayor’s dinner to H.R.H. Prince Henry of Prussia / Metropolitan Club 6.30. Train 5.24—arr 5.55” [NB 45 TS 4]. Note: the dinner was Feb. 26. See entry.

The Mayor’s dinner as listed above (Seth Lowe) was held at the Metropolitan Club on Feb. 25 for Prince Henry of Prussia (1862-1929; born Albert Wilhelm Heinrich), the third of eight children born to Crown Prince Frederick (who became Emperor Frederick III) and Victoria, Princess Royal of the United Kingdom (who became Empress Victoria, then Empress Frederick in widowhood); she was a daughter of Queen Victoria. Henry made this trip to the US and won a favorable impression from the American press as well as the American-German population. His purpose for making the trip was to launch the Kaiser’s yacht Meteor off Staten Island. The yacht was American built, and it was launched this day by Miss Alice Roosevelt, daughter of the President. The program seating chart for the banquet identified 100 honored guests, including “Samuel J. Clemens” [sic]. It is not known if Clemens offered a speech.