On the 5th of July the Prince's birthday was celebrated throughout the Duchy with great enthusiasm; this gave bitter offence to the King; shortly afterwards Bismarck left Berlin and joined the King, who was taking his annual cure at Carlsbad, and for July 28th a Council of State was summoned to meet at Regensburg.

Probably this is the only instance of a King coming to so important a decision outside his own territories.

The Council was attended not only by the Ministers, but also by some of the generals and by Goltz, who was summoned from Paris for the purpose.

It was determined to send an ultimatum to Austria; the chief demand was that Austria should withdraw all support from Augustenburg, and agree immediately to eject him from the Duchies.

If Austria refused to agree, Prussia would do so herself; he was to be seized, put on board a ship, and carried off to East Prussia.