UT CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY —— THE QUEEN IN STATE ROBES. From an engraving of a drawing by A. E. Chalon. ee SOR hanes LADIES Ole OO Pk EDITED BY fidik COUNTEHSs* Ar) VON BOTHMER With 153 Illustrations LONDON FW UCHINSON «2° CO. PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 1900 PRE ACC E MERSON has said, ‘Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of Emperors ridiculous.” And this attitude of mind is common to most people. The outward show, the numerous functions, and the splendour with which Royalties are unavoidably con- nected, cause the masses to believe that these things are the main objects for which they live. People do not recognise that pomp is but an accessory. For this reason it has been a great pleasure to me to edit the sketches in this book. They prove beyond the shadow of a doubt—whatever may have been true in the past—that nowadays no crowned head merely lives a life of luxury, regardless of the weal and woe of his subjects. To rule or to reign in our time means work—work of the hardest description. Let those who have hitherto entertained a belief to the contrary, and who themselves perhaps could work more, reconsider the matter. M. BOTHMER. July, 1899. Il. Ill. Iv. VI. VII. VIII. CONTENTS HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, EMPRESS OF INDIA. THE EMPRESS ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA OF RUSSIA, NEE PRINCESS OF HESSE UND BEI RHEIN : : . THE EMPRESS FREDERICK, NEE PRINCESS ROYAL OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND THE QUEEN-REGENT OF SPAIN, NEE ARCHDUCHESS OF AUSTRIA : THE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL, NEE PRINCESSE D’ORLEANS. QUEEN MARGHERITA OF ITALY, NEE PRINCESS OF SAVOY QUEEN OLGA OF GREECE, VEE GRAND DUCHESS OF RUSSIA AUGUSTE VICTORIA, GERMAN EMPRESS AND QUEEN OF PRUSSIA, NEE PRINCESS OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN- SONDERBURG-AUGUSTENBURG vil PAGE 43 77 QI 117 I4I 169 195 vill IX. XI. XI. XII. XIV. XV. XVI. Contents THE QUEEN OF SAXONY, NEE PRINCESS VON HOLSTEIN- GOTTORP-WASA . n . . . ° . QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF WURTEMBERG, NEE PRINCESS ZU SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE . . . . . . WILHELMINA, QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS . . QUEEN SOPHIE OF NORWAY AND SWEDEN, NEE PRINCESS OF NASSAU. . . . . . THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS, NEE ARCHDUCHESS OF AUSTRIA c 3 z . . . QUEEN ELIZABETH OF ROUMANIA, NEE PRINCESS ZU WIED . . . . . THE LATE EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA, NEE DUCHESS IN BAVARIA : . THE LATE QUEEN OF DENMARK, NEE PRINCESS OF HESSE-CASSEL PAGE 249 265 291 323 341 391 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS I THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND PAGE The Queen in State Robes . : . Frontispiece The Duchess of Kent and the Princess ‘Victoria: 1834 . cs Edward, Duke of Kent . : 5 The Royal Palace, Kensington, w here the Gucedt was fer : 6 The Princess Victoria (aged 11) ) An Early Portrait of the Queen ; 9 The Princess Victoria, taken on her Bichteenth Birthday II Buckingham Palace 13 The Prince Consort ; 17 The Queen’s Private Sitting-room, Buckinehan Palace 23 The Queen’s Private Sitting-room, Balmoral 27 The Throne-room, Windsor . 31 The Drawing-room, Osborne House 35 Her Majesty the Queen in Dress worn daring the State Jubilee Procession, 1897 39 IL THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA The Most Recent Portrait of the Empress 2) The Empress as a Baby . 44 H.R.H., Princess Alice (Mother GE the Peres) ; 45 The Empress at the Age of Twelve 47 A Portrait of the Empress : 49 Cathedral of the Assumption, Moscow, mere the enperorean are crow Bred Z, Room in an Ancient Part of the Imperial Palace, Moscow . 55 The Emperor in his Coronation Robes. 59 Fountains of the Imperial Palace, Peterhof . 63 The Empress of Russia in her Coronation Robes 69 1k x Dist of Fllustrations Ill THE EMPRESS FREDERICK PAGE The Princess Royal. : : : : . 76 The Princess Royal at the Age of Eleven Months , : : neo The Late Emperor Frederick : : 3 : : 3 ; eS Schloss Friedrichshof . : : ; : 3 é : : 2 83 A View of Cronberg. : : : : s ‘ : : . 85 IV THE QUEEN-REGENT OF SPAIN A Recent Group of the Queen-Regent and her Children. : go Latest Portrait of the Queen-Regent of Spain. : - 92 King Alphonso XII. of Spain (Father of the Present King). : . 93 Ex-Queen Isabella z : ; “ : : ; - 95 Latest Portrait of the King a Spain ; ‘ : : ; , 07; The Queen-Regent : : ‘ : ; : : . 1Ol A Later Portrait of the Oneen Reson e : : ; : : . 104 The Royal Palace at Madrid. : . 109 The Princess of the Asturias (Elder Sister of the King of Spain). Liz The Second Sister of the King. : : q : 2 AL3 Vv THE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL The Queen of Portugal. : : : : i : j ; . 116 Palacio Real d’Ajuda_. : : : : : : : : . 119 The Queen . : : : d s . 3 2 ; 5 pel 22 The King. ; : : : : : nee, The King of Portugal (on horseback) ; 3 ; “ ‘ : ; 25 Palacio Real das Necessidades_. : , : 3 : ; . 129 The Queen-Dowager, zée Princess of Italy .. : : 3 sg The King and Queen with their Elder Son, in 1887, : d meles3 The Queen (out-door costume). 135 The Two Sons of the King and Grey the Grow m. Prince Louis Philippe and Prince Manuel, Duke of Beja . : : : » 137 VI THE QUEEN oF ITALY The Queen of Italy (robed) . . 140 The Throne-room . . 143 The Queen of Italy . 145 List of Fllustrations The Sala degli Svizzeri The Queen of Italy The Prince of Naples The Sala degli Specchi . The Sala degli Arazzi The Antica Capella Paolina . VIL THE QUEEN OF GREECE Her Majesty the Queen His Majesty the King The Crown Prince (Duke of Space) An Early Portrait of the Queen The Duchess of Sparta. The King and Princess Marie The Royal Palace at Athens. The Queen’s Boudoir in the Palace at athens The Latest Portrait of the Queen. Children of the Crown Prince Prince George of Greece VIII THE GERMAN EMPRESS A Recent Portrait of the Empress The Latest Portrait of the Empress The Emperor and Empress at the Time of their Betrothal Prince Bismarck 5 Ball-room in the New Palace at Potsdam : The Emperor and Empress, with their Seven Children The Emperor William II. An Earlier Portrait of the Empress The Three Eldest Sons of the Emperor and icapreces The Empress’ Eldest Daughter A Salon in the Palace at Potsdam IX THE QUEEN OF SAXONY The Queen of Saxony . Royal Schloss, Dresden XI PAGE 147 . 149 . 153 57 5 159 . 168 Dt - 173 » 175 na7G ZT. TI79 - 183 . 185 187. . 190 - 194 s 197 230 xii List of Fllustrations PAGE The Queen of Saxony, 1886. ‘ : : : ; : : . 233 The Royal Schloss at Pillnitz . » 235 Her Imperial Highness the Princess Friedrich meee ot Saxony, . 236 Prince Friedrich August of Saxony, Heir tothe Kingdom . : . 237 The King of Saxony. : . : : - 239 The Courtyard of the Royal Schloss, reeden : : 2 241 Prince Georg of Saxony and Prince Friedrich Christian, Elder Sons of the Prince and Princess Friedrich August of Saxony. : . 243 The Royal Schloss, Dresden ; : : : : ; : . 245 xX THE QUEEN OF WURTEMBERG The Queen of Wiirtemberg . . 248 Princess Pauline of Wiirtemberg, Only Child of the Kine (now the Hereditary Princess zu Wied) ‘ : : ‘ : : . 251 The King of Wiirtemberg.. : ; f 258 Duke Albrecht of Wtirtemberg, Het to the Throne : . 254 The Duchess Albrecht of Wiirtemberg, z¢e Archduchess of ‘Austria . 255 The Royal Palace at Stuttgart . : ‘ : , 2 e257; View of the Royal Schloss at Peeduchsmaien 3 : ; : . 261 XI THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS Latest Portrait of the Queen of Holland. : s . 264 The Queen of the Netherlands (aged 2 Years) with hee Mother 52607: Palace at the Hague, showing Monument of William the Silent . . 269 The Queen-Regent of Holland. 272 The Late King William III. of the Netherlands, Rather of Queen Wilhelmina . : ; : : 273 The Queen of the Netherlands in ‘National Dress : : ; 275 The Royal Palace at Scheveningen : a‘ : : 4 R27, The Royal Palace at Hef Loo 5 : : ; ; 3 : . 281 The Queen of Holland . : 3 : : 3 : : : . 285 All THE QUEEN OF NoRWAY AND SWEDEN The Queen of Sweden . ; . . 290 Park of Monrepos, showing Taseription, on cee st “0, 1856, S eae . 292 The King of Sweden ; . 295 Fac-simile of Poem addressed by paces Gscer fe his Betrothed j . 298 The Queen’s Crown . 300 List of Fllustrations xill PAGE Prince Oscar and his Family 5 . . : p : . . 303 The Queen’s Saloon on the Royal Yacht. ; : ; i » 305 The Palace at Biebrich. : : : : : : : » 309 The Ball-room : : : . : : : 3 : ag l2 The Queen's Dining-room_. : : : ; ; : ‘ » 315 The Palace at Monrepos : : : : ; : : = BIZ XIII THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS The Queen of the Belgians 3 322 Palace of the Queen of the Belgians at ion 325 The Queen of the Belgians 328 The King of the Belgians 329 Princess Clementina of the Belgians BSL Princess Philip of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, Eldest Daueuter of ‘the gneen of the Belgians 2 - 333 The Queen and Princess Clementina on 1 Horseback 385 The Count of Flanders, Heir to the Belgian Throne = 330: The Countess of Flanders, zée Princess of Hohenzollern 337, XIV THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA The Queen of Roumania : ; : . 340 The Queen of Roumania (gaemen Sylv and her Mother F A 1 843) Country Residence of the King and Queen . : ; : : - 345 The Queen as Princess Elizabeth zu Wied, with her Brother, the present Prince zu Wied. ; “ . 348 Schloss in Neuwied, the Home of the oneee peter her Mertens . 351 Fac-similes of a Letter and a Poem of the Queen’s_.. . ‘ - 354 The Queen at the Age of Seventeen. : : : : : . 357 The King of Roumania . z : : : : , ; : - 359 The Crown Prince and Princess . ‘ ‘ . ; : : . 362 The Queen in National Costume . : : : e : : . 365 The Latest Portrait of the Queen . ‘ : ; ; : : . 367 XV THE LarE EMPRESS OF AUSTRIA The Late Empress in Court Dress 2370 The Emperor of Austria at the Present Bare . 373 The Gardens at Schénbrunn. 2377 The Archduchess Marie Valerie and fee Eldest Sen . 380 xiv Dist of Fllustrations PAGE The Achilleon, on the Island of Corfu . : : : : : . 383 The Empress’s Bedroom at Miramare . : : : : : . 385 The Castle of Miramare A : : : : : : : . 387 XVI THE LATE QUEEN OF DENMARK The King and Queen of Denmark at the Time of their Golden Wedding 390 The Gile Palais, Amaliegade, Copenhagen . : : ; : - 393 The Knights’ Hall, Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen ; : - 395 The Chateau of Bernstorff . - 399 The Queen of Denmark at the Tire of her Rides Danehiers Marriage 401 The Marble Church, Copenhagen . : - 405 The King and Queen of Denmark and the whole of there Rarity, (ane before the Marriage of the Princess of Wales : ; ’ . 409 The Palace of Fredensborg . é : : ‘ : ; : . 413 THE SOVEREIGN LADIES OF EUROPE eng I HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, EMPRESS OF INDIA | is no ordinary task for the writer when he attempts, within a limited space, to give a correct outline of the reign of Her Majesty and a delineation of her character. It has been her lot to be the head of the greatest Empire of the world, and that for a much longer time than is given to most crowned heads. Such being the case, facts crowd in upon us in an overwhelming manner. British history is pregnant with most important events—events that have taken place in more than four- fifths of a century during which the Queen has lived amongst us. In speaking of the Queen, it is needless to say that the nation owes a deep debt of gratitude to her mother, the Duchess of Kent, that unflinching disciplinarian, by whom Her Majesty was educated, and to whom she owes so many of the great and good qualities that have rendered her so great a blessing to her people. Had I 2 The Sovereign Ladies ot Burope the Duchess of Kent merely studied her own convenience, she would undoubtedly have left England on her husband’s death, and have returned to her beautiful home in Bavaria, where she had been left Regent by her first husband, the Prince of Leiningen ; and there is little reason to think that George IV. or the Royal Dukes would have tried to dissuade her. She was, however, imbued with an almost Spartan sense of maternal duty: all her personal feelings were sacrificed to the one idea of training her dead husband’s heiress in the best possible way to fit her for the most important contingency that could happen. That her daughter would succeed to the throne of Great Britain was at that time only looked upon as a remote possibility. The Duchess had herself received an excellent education. She was the youngest child of Duke Franz of Saxe- Coburg-Saalfeld, and was born at Coburg in August, 1786. Reared very strictly under the eye of her mother, she received her education with her brother, Prince Leopold, who later became the husband of the Princess Charlotte of Great Britain, and still later King of the Belgians. Her first husband was Prince Emich Carl of Leiningen, who was twenty-eight years older than she, and who died twelve years later, leaving all his property in her hands in trust for his two children. The Duchess, who was only seventeen at the time of her first marriage, had won the respect of every one by the dignity and decorum of her life; and when a widow at twenty-nine, she continued to lead the same quiet life at Amorbach with her children. The death of the Princess Charlotte, the only child of King George IV., set the country in a state of anxiety concerning the succession, as it was not likely that the Iber Majesty Queen Victoria 3 THE DUCHESS OF KENT AND THE PRINCESS VICTORIA, 1834. (From a drawing by Str George Hayter.) King would have an heir, nor had the Duke of York any children. Therefore all the unmarried Royal Dukes made haste to take to themselves wives, and were all of 4 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe them married to German Princesses within a few weeks of each other. The Duke of Kent, who was at that time fifty years of age, was a man of soldierly bearing, and had always been distinguished for his philanthropic ideas and kind heart. It happened that he was on terms of friendship with Prince Leopold of Coburg. Acting on his advice, he went for his wife to Leiningen; and finding the Duchess all and more than her brother described, he thought himself a most fortunate man when she accepted him and consented to become his wife. The marriage took place in the first instance at Coburg ; but a second ceremony was performed later at Kew, according to the rites of the English Church, after which the Duke and Duchess of Kent returned to Amorbach. Not many months later the Duke was made most happy by the news that the Duchess was likely to make him a father. In consequence he travelled with her to England, as he quite saw the advantage of having his expected child born on British soil, On May 24th, 1819, a little Princess was born at Kensington Palace, to the great delight of her parents. She was a pretty and healthy baby ; and as the Salic law does not exist in these favoured islands, the birth of a Princess was no disappointment. The Queens who have ruled over Great Britain have always, with one exception, been loved by the people. The Duke of Kent was passionately fond of his little May-blossom, as he called her, and during the eight months that followed her birth all the acts of His Royal Highness illustrated his deep parental love and the happiness of his married life. Most unfortunately, he caught a cold, and serious symptoms set in that caused his life to be despaired of. He died at Woodbrook Glen, ber Majesty Queen Victoria 5 Sidmouth, where he had gone for the winter with his wife and child, on January 22rd, L820, With her strong sense of duty, the Duchess deter- mined to re- main in Eng- land, though she knew that her life here would be full of trials, whilst in Bavaria she would have EDWARD, DUKE OF KENT. (From the portrait by Sir William Beechey, R.A.) been certain of deapedcemuls happy life. She fulfilled her duty nobly; and in later days she had her reward, for she lived to see her daughter in her position as Queen and the joyful wife of an adored husband, surrounded by her children, and with everything to make her happy. The Duchess belonged to the Lutheran Church, and, at the time of the Duke’s death, knew but little English ; but she at once began to study the language, and, for her child’s sake, attended the services at the English Church, having also received instruction in the Anglican doctrines. It was her brother, Prince Leopold, who was at this time her best friend. 6 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe He supplemented her somewhat scanty income, and helped her with his support and advice in all difficult matters; indeed, without this generous brother, the Duchess would have had a very lonely, unhappy life during the first few years that she spent in England. Her position was a very trying one, as she had renounced a considerable portion of her income on making her second marriage. The Duke of Kent, who had an open- handed, generous nature, had died in debt; but the THE ROYAL PALACE, KENSINGTON, WHERE THE QUEEN WAS BORN. Duchess, with her strong sense of justice, yielded the whole of his estate to his creditors, leaving herself quite penniless, without even a home that she could legally claim in the country ; so that, until the matter of her jointure was settled, she was entirely dependent on the generosity of Prince Leopold of Coburg. For the next seventeen years she lived in stately seclusion at Kensington Palace, with her little daughter and the two children of her first marriage—Prince Carl and the Princess Feodore of Leiningen. THE PRINCESS VICTORIA (AGED Il). (Drawn from life by John Hayter.) 8 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The Queen’s mother was a strict parent. She carried out to the letter of the law the ideas that obtained in the first half of the century: namely, that children must be in complete subjection to their parents and guardians ; must do what they were told ; eat what was placed before them; sit upright on their chairs; never speak in company unless they were spoken to; be respectful to their elders ; have no opinions of their own; regard holidays, not as proper and needful relaxations, but as benefactions, of which they were all unworthy ; cultivate a taste for that which they disliked ; in short, achieve, so far as possible, a spirit of supreme self-abnegation. These were the orthodox ideas on education at the beginning of the century ; and, in enforcing them, the Duchess was further actuated by the importance of her charge, and the desire to rear her little Queen very differently from the careless up-bringing which had been the fate of the Princess Charlotte. The childhood of the Queen was dull and lonely ; she had hardly ever any playmates of her own age, for her half-sister was many years her senior. Mrs. Brock was the Queen’s nurse, whilst her first governess was the Baroness Lehzen. When she had completed her fourth year, the Rev. George Davys, later Bishop of Peterborough, was selected as a tutor. He lived in Kensington, and came daily to the palace. His devotion to his charge and her regard for him are well known. The ruling idea of the Duchess of Kent in the train- ing of her daughter was simplicity and seclusion. The Princess Victoria lived on plain fare, was dressed in simple frocks, had few amusements except her dolls and books as she grew older ; not, however, romances, but the school classics in prose and verse, varied with improving story- QUEEN. AN EARLY PORTRAIT OF THE (From a rare lithograph.) 10 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope books, were her reading. She was permitted almost un- limited outdoor exercise, walking and riding in Kensington Gardens, and frequently having breakfast under the shade of the trees in the summer mornings—a custom which Her Majesty has followed throughout her entire life. The Princess was but rarely seen in public or at public amusements, and a very great treat to her was a visit to the British Museum. The Duchess also most wisely forbade the members of her household to hint to the Princess by word or manner that she was of special import- ance by reason of her nearness to the throne, lest the knowledge should destroy the simplicity of her childhood. She was not informed that she was the future Queen of England until she was twelve years old, and then merely incidentally, during a lesson that she was having in English history. There was one matter of education, however, in which the Duchess was in advance of her time. She believed in travel as a means of imparting knowledge and of enlarging ideas. When her daughter was about twelve years of age, she took her on a tour through the southern counties, spending a few days at places of special in- terest. These were days when women rarely travelled for travelling’s sake, and when a journey by coach from the shires to London was an event in the life of a man. The expeditions undertaken by the Queen’s mother showed that she held broad ideas with regard to the education of her daughter, who was taken from town to town to visit notable buildings and manufactories. Everywhere the Princess and her mother were greeted with popular outbursts of enthusiasm and presented with loyal addresses, to which the Duchess replied with excellent little speeches. Iber Majesty Queen Victoria II In the course of her tour the Duchess paid visits to the seats of many of the nobility, including Eaton Hall, Hardwick, and Holkham Hall. When the Royal guests arrived at the last-named place, the hostess, Lady Anne Coke, con- ducted the Duchess to the state apart- ments prepared for her recep- tion ; but when Her _ Royal Highness ob- served that a separate room had been pre- pared for her daughter, she requested that a double- bedded room should be given them, as the THE PRINCESS VICTORIA, TAKEN ON HER EIGILTEENTH BIRTHDAY. Princess had never slept apart from her since the death of the Duke of Kent. This rule was enforced by the Duchess up to the time when Her Majesty ascended the throne ; indeed, until that time, she was never allowed out of her mother’s sight for more than an hour or two at a time, and the Queen never left English soil, if we except Wales, until several years after marriage. As a child she was not without faults: she was very 12 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe wilful, and, in spite of the strictness of her education, was very fond of having her own way, and was by no means an easy character to train, in spite of her numerous noble and generous qualities. Queen Adelaide, the amiable consort of King William IV., was a most kind friend to the Princess, and it was at the first Drawing-room held by her after her husband’s accession that the Princess Victoria made her first appearance at Court as the heir to the throne. She drove in state from Kensington Palace with her mother, attended by a suite of ladies and gentlemen in state carriages, and escorted by a detachment of Guards. At the Drawing-room, when she stood on the left hand of Queen Adelaide, she was the centre of observation. She was dressed in white satin and lace, her hair arranged in the madonna fashion of the day and fastened with a diamond clasp, while round her neck was a row of beautiful large pearls. She was only in her thirteenth year at this time ; but her dignified demeanour was greatly admired, and she took the most evident interest and pleasure in being present at this function. There was a considerable difference of opinion between the King and the Duchess anent the education of the Princess Victoria, His Majesty wishing her to be more at Court, while the Duchess considered her daughter too young to appear much in public: as she had been left sole guardian by the Duke of Kent, she was able to follow out her own plans of education. From the time of the birth of Prince Albert of Coburg, just three months after the birth of the Queen, the Coburg relations of Her Majesty had decided that a marriage between the little Prince and Princess would be most advantageous to both, and many were the letters ‘Muvdimoy r1dossoa4yg uopuoT ays dq ooyd v mory ‘aOV1IVd WVHONINDNG 14 The Sovereign Ladies of Enrope on the subject written by the Duchess of Coburg to her daughter, the Duchess of Kent. In the year 1836, during the month of May, the then Duke of Coburg came to England on a visit to the Duchess of Kent, bringing with him his two sons, Prince Ernst and Prince Albert, in order that the Princess Victoria might have the opportunity of meeting them ; and it was hoped that she might become fond of the younger Prince. ‘They passed several weeks together very happily ; but at the end of the visit the Princess seemed equally fond of both cousins, though undoubtedly Prince Albert had been more her companion. The King was strongly against the Coburg alliance. At this time there were five other candidates for the hand of the Princess; so that the Duke of Coburg returned home by no means certain that the marriage would be arranged, whilst Prince Albert returned to his studies and was sent on a tour through Europe. The Duchess, who was determined if possible to bring about the union between her daughter and her nephew, replied to the other suitors that the Princess was much too young to consider their offers. On May 24th, 1837, the Princess attained her legal majority, and her eighteenth birthday was celebrated with great honour ; in the evening there was a State ball at St. James’s Palace, which she opened in person, her partner being Lord Fitzalan, the son of the Duke of Norfolk. The dress of the Princess at her birthday ball was of blonde, of British manufacture, over a rich white satin petticoat, ornamented from the waist to the hem of the skirt with the blossoms of the Camellia japonica, the sleeves fastened by vauds of light blue, interspersed with brilliants. Her fair hair was confined on the fore- head by a small dandeau of diamonds, surmounted by ‘Iber Majesty Queen Victoria 15 a wreath of geranium and jessamine, which, at the time, was said to have been highly becoming. It can be well imagined that Her Majesty made a very pretty picture, with her fresh girlish beauty. She was supported on this occasion by the Princess Auguste, who represented Queen Adelaide, and by the Duchess of Kent. From this day the Princess took precedence of her mother. Ten days later a Drawing-room was held, which proved to be her last appearance in public as Princess Victoria. On June 20th, 1837, King William IV. died at two o'clock in the morning. Without any loss of time the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham left Windsor and took the coach to London, reaching Kensington Palace at five o’clock. They had considerable trouble in waking the Royal household ; but when they were finally admitted, the Queen did not keep them waiting, but came immediately to receive them in a white dressing-gown, with her hair flowing loosely over her shoulders, her eyes full of tears for her uncle, but otherwise perfectly collected and dignified. The same day, at 2 p.m., the Queen went to her first Council, led by her two uncles, the King of Hanover and the Duke of Cambridge, when she again astonished every one by her dignified and calm demeanour. In spite of her many duties, and the great change in her life, the goodness of heart that has always been a characteristic of the Queen was shown most plainly during the first days of her reign by the tender thoughtfulness she evinced for her aunt, the widowed Queen Adelaide, and the tact that she used in her intercourse with her. On July 13th the Queen quitted Kensington for Buckingham Palace, and her new life of independence began. At the conclusion of the period of mourning for 16 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope the late King, the Court became very gay under the rule of the young Queen, who was unsophisticated enough to thoroughly enjoy her position, and who, by reason of her secluded childhood and girlhood, was all the more eager to taste the joys of youthful pleasures. She was fond of dancing, riding, and every kind of amusement. During the first years of her reign she delighted in arranging impromptu dances, riding parties, picnics, evening con- certs, etc., and was so much occupied by her duties and pleasures that she felt no inclination for marriage, much as her mother wished her to think seriously about this question. Riding was her favourite diversion, and she was generally in the saddle for two or three hours every day, her example being followed by all those who could afford it. To be a good horsewoman became a necessity to those who wished to be in the fashion. In spite of enjoying her freedom, the Queen never, from the first, neglected her duties, and, young as she was, showed that she was a real Queen, and no puppet, to be used by her Ministers for their own purposes. Prince Albert came over to England to see his cousin, but at first got no definite answer from her, although she had always intended to choose him as her consort. It was not until the year 1840 that the Queen’s marriage to her cousin, Prince Albert of Coburg, took place—a union which proved ideally happy, and which was the commencement of a life that was not merely beautiful, but which proved to be a blessing for her people as well as an example to them. The Queen and her husband spent their lives in good works, in foster- ing art and science, and in doing all in their power to improve the moral and material condition of their people. In Prince Albert Her Majesty found a true helper in all THE PRINCE CONSORT, 18 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe her highest aspirations, a wise councillor, and a most loving, devoted friend. His Royal Highness had a character that is very rarely found, his strong sense of duty and his powerful intellect making him, both to his wife and to her people, of inestimable value. His master- mind was capable of grasping the vastest idea ; and young as he was—he was the junior of the Queen by three months—he was from the first able to take his place at her side as companion, adviser, and friend. During the happy years they spent together, he was her closest companion when at work and during her hours of relaxation, the truest, most loyal and devoted of husbands that a Queen has ever had. For twenty-one years the life of the Sovereign may be said to have been as perfectly happy as any life in this world can be. Nine children were born, all of them healthy and beautiful, except Prince Leopold, and, though he was delicate, his weakness was not so great as to cause his parents constant anxiety ; mentally, he was one of the most gifted of the Queen’s family. Her life was as idyllic as it was good and practical; never had so much real good been done for the British nation as during those twenty-one years when the Queen and her beloved husband were working together in the interests of mankind, and more especially for the happiness and prosperity of their subjects. Prince Albert was as practical as he was ideal in his views of life, and found in his wife a mind that was the equal of his own and capable of understanding and grasping all his plans for the benefit of her people. He was deeply interested in art, science, and literature, and found also in these matters a keen sympathiser in the Queen. The system of having International Exhibitions ‘ber Majesty Queen Victoria 19 was instituted by him, not only for the improvement of commerce, but also for bringing about a more friendly and intimate feeling amongst the nations, and to enable them to be more in touch with each other. The Great Exhibition at Hyde Park in 1851 was an epoch in the history of Europe. At this period of her life it is impossible to speak about Her Majesty without mentioning the Prince Consort ; for so entirely were their lives in harmony that the work done was the result of their co-operation, and no step was undertaken without mutual knowledge and approval. The Queen has great claims on our reverence and love ; as wife, mother, and ruler her worth has been clearly shown, and her gentle influence on the manners of her Court and in general society was very plainly seen and felt during the early part of her reign, and more especially before her husband’s death, when she was at the head of all affairs and appeared so constantly in public. The biography of Her Majesty makes a beautiful picture. Devoted in life and faithful in death to her husband, and through her most sorrowful days, when she was overwhelmed with grief, still doing her duty to the utmost of her strength, helping her children and her sub- jects with her sympathy in all their sorrows, and rejoicing in their joys, she has gone through life giving her people a noble example of all a sovereign can do and be. The Queen’s admirable training of her children has borne good fruit, and she has lived to see her descendants in almost all parts of Europe doing their duty, and one and all honouring Her Majesty as the greatest of all sovereigns. The life of the Queen, so joyous at the commencement, has been clouded by many deep sorrows. Her first great grief was when her mother died—that mother to whom 20 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe she owed so much, and to whom she had always shown the most touching devotion. But a still more terrible trial was to come in the death of the Prince Consort, only a few months later, at a time when it would have been thought that he was in the prime of his life and strength. These two losses were to the Queen at that period of her life of overwhelming force, and no one can blame her that for many years she led a life of comparative seclusion, contented to do her duty, without taking part in the gaiety of Court life. To any wife the loss of a beloved husband must be a terrible sorrow ; but to the Queen the blow was still more hard to bear, for in Prince Albert she lost her only equal, the one person to whom she could show herself as she really was, her counsellor, friend, and husband, and the being to whom she was devoted with all the strength of her strong, loving nature. The late Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse, whose sweet, sympathetic nature has been made known to the public by her memoirs, was at this time of the greatest comfort to her mother ; her tender love and constant presence were both a help and comfort to the bereaved Queen. But she was at the time engaged to Prince Louis of Hesse, and was consequently not able to remain for very long with her mother. In all her sorrows the Queen has had the entire sympathy of her people, and this has been deeply felt by her ; the nation has always been one with the monarch in all her joys and sorrows. In statesmanship the Queen is without equal, and this fact has been acknowledged by the greatest diplomatists of the age. Now that the Sovereign is old, she is still appealed to from far and near, for her judgment as to what is right and fitting can Iber Majesty Queen Victoria 21 always be relied upon. In all affairs of State, in questions of peace and war, Her Majesty’s influence has ever been exercised in the right direction, and many are the calamities that have been avoided by the clear judgment of the Queen, through whose influence many wars have been prevented, which would have brought ruin to millions. Her Majesty has always been on the side of peace, for all bloodshed is abhorrent to her. While she has been unwearied in her devotion to affairs of State, she has been most particular to observe the Constitution ; and though she has expressed her opinion, she has never opposed her Ministers. The Victorian era is richer in inventions and changes than any other period of history, and the improvements in the world have been so numerous and rapid that it is difficult to follow them. It may, however, be remarked that throughout her reign the Queen has nobly helped everything that has been for the benefit of mankind by her influence and sympathy. Literature has also developed to a great extent under the present reign ; and though its progress has not always been equal, it must be said that, upon the whole, it has been most satisfactory throughout the last sixty years, during which Great Britain has given many great and clever writers to the world. The Queen is an excellent judge of style in composition, and no good or original thoughts escape her notice ; so that all those writers who have made a name in the world have been read and appreciated by her. With the disappearance of those authors who were popular when the Queen ascended the throne a new epoch began ; and though we have certainly had many relapses, and much that has been written is in bad taste, it must be said that there is a decided improvement. Whereas, at the 22 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe beginning of the present reign, the known authors might almost have been counted on ten fingers, at present their name is legion ; and though there is a great deal of worth- less work, we find gems that were formerly unknown, and powers of thought and observation that would have been an impossibility sixty years ago. Of art, science, and literature the Queen has always been a most liberal patron, and immense strides have been made in these directions during her reign. In music alone England, from being one of the most unmusical nations in Europe, has gained a high place in the world of sound, and each year sees a steady advance in this respect. The Queen, who is herself a skilled musician, found in her husband, the late Prince Consort, a keen sympathiser in her taste for this art ; so that very soon after her accession music became a fashionable pursuit at the English Court : to be able to play some instrument was thought to be a necessity for the daughters of the rich. What at first was more followed because it was the mode at Court, soon became sought after for its own sake; and after the daughters of the nobility began to cultivate this art, it slowly but surely descended through other grades of society, till at the present day England may be called a really musical nation: even the village children have the opportunity of learning to appreciate beautiful sounds. Her Majesty both sang and played. Mendelssohn, for whom she had a great admiration, had a very high opinion of her powers in this direction. The fact that musicians were received by the Queen as honoured guests was like a revelation to her people, who had always seen such artists treated almost with contempt by her predecessors, of whom only George III. was gifted with artistic perception or any love for the fine arts. “Gury “NH 49 070d) ‘GOVIVd WVHONTNONAA ‘WOOU-ONILIIS ALVAINd S.Nagno aHL 24 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope It is an interesting fact that Her Majesty, fond as she was of Italian music, was able to appreciate Wagner the first time that she heard him, and this at the period when almost all the musical authorities of Great Britain were against him—a strong proof of her thorough musical knowledge, for but few have the gift of understanding and appreciating a thing that is absolutely new, especially in music, The drama, too, has greatly benefited by the patronage of the Queen, and by the interest she has shown in good acting. For the first ten years of her reign there was not much progress to be seen ; but later, owing to her influence and that of the Prince Consort, a decided improvement could be remarked, which has gone on steadily increasing. She has retained her interest in the stage up to the present day, and her taste has been inherited by her youngest daughter, the Princess Henry of Battenberg, whose talent in arranging private theatricals is so well known at the English Court. Undoubtedly, the happiest days of the Queen’s life, and those most free from care, have been spent by her in her Highland home on the Dee-side. Not the least of her titles is Chieftainess of the Dee-side ; for by her gracious personality she has brought to her feet as her loyal subjects the clans of the Highlands, which were formerly so disaffected. Indeed, it could not be otherwise ; for she came to her northern kingdom, not as the Queen of the South, but as a Princess proud to acknowledge the Stuart blood in her veins ; and her warm, impulsive nature led her to emphasise this fact in her life and surroundings. She dressed her children in tartan and kilt, and herself wore gowns of Stuart plaid; Scotland’s homely fare was served at her table ; humble sons and daughters of ber Majesty Queen Victoria 25 the Glen were her closest attendants, and became her honoured friends; she worshipped in all simplicity with her humble neighbours in the little kirk on the Dee ; and her chief delight was to roam the mountains and crouch in the forest when the deer fell to the gun of her husband. On returning to the Castle, she would dance a reel to Willie Blair’s fiddle with zest and spirit. There is scarcely a hill on the Dee-side that the Queen has not climbed, even to steep Lochnagar, and she has forded the rivers and braved the weather with the hardihood of a Flora Macdonald. Better still, her kindly presence has brought joy and sunshine to many a troubled heart in the lonely huts and cottar farms on the Dee-side. Her own hand has smoothed the pillow of the dying, and her tears have mingled with those of the orphan and widow. ‘Her that’s got so many to think of never forgets ane of us,” is the touching testimony that can be heard from many lips in the neighbourhood of Balmoral. Small wonder that the people in this neighbourhood have come to regard the Queen as their special property. “© T mind weel, when IJ was at the Schul,” said one woman, “how we used to fight with the Balmoral children because they said that the Queen belonged to them. We said, ‘It maks no difference aboot you livin’ on the Balmoral side ; the Queen’s just as much ours as yours.’”’ Her Majesty’s love for children is proverbial ; it would be difficult to enumerate the Victors, Victorias, and Alberts to be found in the vicinity of Balmoral, most of whom own the Queen for sponsor, for she is fond of having a goodly family of godchildren, and never forgets those on whom she has conferred this honour. The Balmoral estate has undergone many changes since the Prince Consort purchased it. Not only has 26 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope the present new Castle arisen in the Glen, but the pro- perty has been enlarged, and most of the cottages on the estate have been rebuilt, so that the picturesque but hardly comfortable Highland huts of former times, with the peat smoke curling from a hole in the roof, have disappeared. On the Invercauld side one such hut remains, and in it lives Jane Eggo, an old wifie of over eighty, hobbling on her stick, being “bad with the rheumatics,” but presenting withal a cheery face, with twinkling blue eyes, cheeks rosy as a winter apple, and silvery hair brushed smoothly under her white mutch. The floor of the hut is of earth, and the joists supporting the thatch are simply tarred : a ceiling does not exist. A few rough stones form the ingle-nook, and upon them burns the peat fire, the smoke passing through a hole in the thatch. A rude wooden partition divides the hut into “but” and “ben,” the one being occupied by a large box-bed built into the wall, and the other serving as the living-room. The door of the hut always stands open in summer. Jane Eggo has lived all her life on the Dee-side, and ‘“‘weel remembered the Queen coming first to Balmoral.”’ ““We never thocht, when I was a child,” she says, ‘“ that the Queen would ever come to Scotland. I mind her weel the first Sabbath that she came to kirk: she lookit a bonnie lassie just. Her dress was made of blue cloth, with a mixture of red in it, and was trimmed with flounces to the waist. They wasna a’ the same width, and each flounce was bound with red,” she explained further. ‘And round her shoulders the Queen wore a bit cape, and she had on the bonniest white bonnet that ever I saw. I canna mind noo whether it was of silk or straw, but I remember fine the long white feather (usapsag Kp “OD 2 “oszist “AL “D9 Aq ydvisojoyg v 1047) “IVUONTVA ‘WOOU-DNILLIS TLWAIYd SNqaInNO FHL 28 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe that went round it. Her hair was smoothed down the side of her face sae glossy ; and she had a bonny colour in her cheeks anda smile for every one. Prince Albert was along wi’ her—a tall, fleet-looking man; and the Queen was very sma’, and just reached up to his shoulder. Aye, he was a pretty man, and lookit braw in a kilt.” A short way down the road from Jane Eggo’s hut is the low stone farmhouse of Crathuenard, where John Brown was born ; and on the opposite side, standing back towards the hills, is the Bush, where Brown’s parents lived at the time when he entered the service of the late Prince Consort as stable-boy. Dee-side abounds in stories of honest John, a blunt, plain-spoken man, even to rude- ness, but as true as steel. He would have stood between the Queen and a bullet any day, but he never minced his words when speaking to her, and has even been known to show disapproval of his Royal lady’s attire. ‘What's this you've got on the day?”’’ would be the searching enquiry, if Her Majesty wore, for comfort and warmth, a mantle not of recent date. In the little churchyard by the Dee John Brown lies with his forefathers, and the simple stone bears the Queen’s grateful tribute to an honest man’s fidelity :— THAT FRIEND ON WHOSE FIDELITY YOU COUNT, THAT FRIEND GIVEN YOU BY CIRCUMSTANCES OVER WHICH YOU HAVE NO CONTROL, WAS GOD’S OWN GIFT. About two miles from Balmoral, on the banks of the Dee, is Abergeldie, the old white stone castle of the Gordons, which the Prince Consort leased when he pur- chased Balmoral, and which was used as a residence by the Duchess of Kent when she accompanied her tber Majesty Queen Victoria 29 daughter to Scotland each autumn. The Prince and Princess of Wales also resided there for a few months shortly after their marriage. The drawing-room is a long pleasant room, hung round with pictures of the Royal Family at various ages: among them is a portrait of the late Emperor Frederick and his girl-bride, whom he wooed, as we know, with a piece of white heather gathered from Craignaban, the high wooded hill which rises in front of Abergeldie. Of late years the ex-Empress Eugenie, to whom the Queen has been such a kind and generous friend, has frequently stayed at Abergeldie Castle. She was first invited there by the Queen after the untimely death of the Prince Imperial, and, during her visit, all that was possible was done by the Queen and the Princess Beatrice to show their deep sympathy. Beyond Abergeldie, towards Ballater, is Birkhall House and estate, the Queen’s property, where the Duchess of Albany and her children usually spent the autumn. The Duchess is as great a favourite in Scotland as in England, and many are the stories that are told of her kind, un- ostentatious manner, and the interest she takes in the people around her. All the children of the Queen and her grandchildren are devoted to Scotland, and during their childhood the greatest treat that could be given to them was a visit to Balmoral. Even now that most of Her Majesty’s grandchildren and all her children have long ago left childhood behind them, Balmoral still remains a_ place of the happiest memories, and an occasional visit is an undoubted pleasure to one and all. The Empress of Russia, when she visited the place with her husband and eldest daughter, about eighteen 30 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe months after her marriage, was rejoiced once more to see the place where she had been so happy in her childhood and girlhood, and the Tzar was taken to see all her favourite places and to visit the people on the estate. All the daughters of the late Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse are as familiar with Balmoral as their mother was, and they one and all adore the free life that they can enjoy in the Queen’s Highland home. The most interesting and truly national of the Royal functions on the Dee-side is the Braemar Gathering. To it come the Highlanders from Balmoral, wearing the Royal Stuart tartan, the Duke of Fife’s men in the Duff tartan, and the men of Invercauld, dressed in their distinctive plaid. They line the approach to Mar Castle, and between the ranks drives the Royal Chieftainess of Balmoral, with her greys and outriders, accompanied by the Castle guests. Generally the Duchess of Albany and her children arrive from Birkhall, the Empress Eugenie from Abergeldie, and the Duke and Duchess of Fife, with their little daughters, from New Mar Lodge: with them often come the Prince and Princess of Wales and other guests. As each of the Royal parties drives past, the men salute in Highland fashion, hfting high their claymores, and the pipes play a stirring melody. The Princesses generally wear tartan skirts; the Princes are in full Highland dress. From the Royal pavilion they watch the time-honoured sports, the sword-dances, throwing the hammer, and the various races. It will be seen how happy and peaceful the life of Her Majesty is in Scotland. Her love for her Highland home cannot be wondered at, especially when it is remembered that it was here that she enjoyed her first holidays after her marriage with her beloved husband. CapoomsiyjodsS > andy hq ydvasojoyd v 04,7) “HOSANIM ‘WOOU-3INONHL AHL 32 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope How many sacred memories of those happy times of perfect companionship are bound up with the place in the heart of the Queen! Here each year she has spent many weeks, gaining strength and health to continue her noble work for her subjects ; and here she has had her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with her, and has been able to see them at their best and happiest, enjoying with her the freedom and simplicity which have always been her ideal of a perfect life. Apart from the losses already mentioned, the Queen has had many sorrows during her long life. The death of two beloved children, the late Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse and the Duke of Albany, was a terrible blow ; and the premature decease of the Emperor Frederick, whom she loved as a son, was as great a grief to her as if he had been her own child. Then came the loss of her youngest son-in-law, Prince Henry of Battenberg, who had become like her own son, and whose noble character had made him sincerely loved and of inestimable value to the Queen ; to be followed by the death of the only son of the Duke . of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The death of the Duke of Clarence was also a source of deep sorrow to Her Majesty ; and during late years she has seen almost all the friends of her youth pass away, so that she is almost alone in her generation. Her old age has been made very happy by the constant presence of her youngest daughter and by the merry ways of that daughter’s children. The young Princes of Battenberg and their sister are an unfailing source of pleasure and amusement to the Queen, who, with her love for young people, would have been very lonely without them. Her Majesty has always gone with the times, and never has had any prejudices against anything simply because it ber Majesty Queen Victoria 33 was new. She always encouraged her children to take every kind of exercise, and it was greatly owing to her example that the girls of England were allowed to skate and do many other things that were not permitted to the girls of other countries until much later. She also became very quickly an advocate of cycling, when she found how healthy an exercise it was ; and her daughters and grand- daughters were amongst the first ladies to wheel in Great Britain. The kindness of the Queen and her love for her people have been very strongly shown at times of national distress. After the Indian Mutiny and the Crimea she was terribly overcome, and it was found very difficult to comfort her ; her thoughts were always with her sorrowing subjects, and her strongest wish was to do all in her power to comfort them. In the bright, happy days, when her husband was still alive, the Queen stood in the forefront of national life ; she patronised all that was best in art, science, and litera- ture, and took the deepest interest in all the philanthropic movements of the time. In society also she was the centre around which all revolved, and her influence was of the greatest good. How sad the change was and has been since the death of the Prince Consort is only known to those who remember English society and the English Court in those happy days, more, than forty years ago, when it could be said with ‘truth that the English Court was already the purest and most refined in the world. The cheerful home life of the Queen has been often described ; her love for her husband was great ; her pride in her children and their clever, pretty ways, and the judicious manner in which she brought them up, are well 3 34 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe known. A happier life than that enjoyed by the young Princes and Princesses before their father’s death cannot be imagined, but later on the sorrow of the mother could not fail to cast a gloom over their lives. One by one they left the parental home, till only the Princess Beatrice remained to comfort her mother in her loneliness. In looking back to the commencement of the Queen’s reign, it is interesting to note that, during the coronation week of Her Majesty, there was a trial in Hyde Park of a steam cab invented by a Mr. Hancock. In these days of motor cabs and carriages it is curious to think of this small beginning so long ago. One of the great pleasures of the Queen up to the present day is to have Scotch songs sung to her. In very early days she found out the beauties of the old Scotch melodies, and she has always delighted in the bagpipes— a taste, it is said, that cannot be cultivated, and is only possessed by those who have Scotch blood in their veins. Scotch dances have ever been a feature of the Royal entertainments, and at the first State ball that was held after her coronation a Scotch reel was danced at her command, the performers having been the Duke of Buccleuch, the Marquis of Douglas, the Marquis of Breadalbane, Mr. Macdonald, and several other Scotch ladies and gentlemen. Her Majesty is said to have been delighted with the performance. The Queen was a finished horsewoman, and she was, during the early part of her reign, very fond of appearing at the reviews mounted, but on the first parade held by her after her accession was unable to do this, as she had injured her foot, and was therefore obliged to drive to the field in an open carriage. She invariably selected her horses herself, and did not care to ride too quiet an (Sua NH fq ydvssojoyd v m0.0.7) ‘ASQOH ANUNOUSO ‘NOOM-ONIMVUG FHL 36 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe animal, so that her attendants were often made anxious by her daring. It is a great proof of the charm of the Queen’s manner that she should be so popular in France ; and even after the Fashoda affair Her Majesty was welcomed as heartily by the people on the Riviera as if there had been no dispute of any kind between the nations. The Queen is proverbially kind, ever ready to help in any good work; she has kind words and smiles for all those she sees; so that the French people, with their emotional natures, are devoted to her. All her actions are chronicled, and where she has driven and what she has done excite the liveliest interest amongst the inhabitants. She is fond of driving through the picturesque French villages, and will often stop her carriage to watch the children at play, and take a bunch of wild flowers from a child, all her actions showing her kindly nature. The Queen was always in favour of her daughters marrying, and most of them married when very young. She was, however, very particular that the Princesses should first know their future husbands, as she wished them to have the same chance of happiness as she had had herself. The marriages of the eldest two Princesses to the late Emperor Frederick and the late Grand Duke of Hesse were both of them arranged with the approval of the Prince Consort. The other three Princesses married several years after their father’s death, The Queen has more living descendants than any other monarch in Europe. She has three sons and four daughters surviving out of the nine children that were living when the Prince Consort died. Of these, the Empress Frederick has four daughters and two sons and ‘ber Majesty Queen Victoria 37 seventeen grandchildren ; the Prince of Wales has four surviving children and five grandchildren ; the late Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse left four daughters and one son, all of whom are married; the Grand Duke of Hesse has an only daughter ; the Princess Henry of Prussia two sons; the Princess Louis of Battenberg a son and two daughters; the Grand Duchess Serge of Russia no children; and the Empress of Russia three daughters. The Duke of Coburg has four surviving daughters, three of whom are married, and he has five grandchildren. The Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein has four children, two sons and two daughters, but no grandchildren. The Duke of Connaught has two daughters and a son; the Princess Louise of Lorne has no children ; the late Duke of Albany left a son and a daughter; and the Princess Henry of Battenberg has three sons and a daughter. The number of the Queen’s descendants is at present seventy-two; she has seven surviving children, thirty-two grandchildren, and thirty-three great-grandchildren. In all her descendants Her Majesty takes the liveliest interest, and every birthday is remembered as well as the Christmas festival, when presents are sent by her to all, which consist of English Christmas fare as well as other gifts. Those grandchildren that are often with her are naturally the ones of whom she thinks the most. The Empress of Russia was an especial favourite, and still is, of her illustrious grandmother. For the German Emperor, her senior grandson, she has a very tender feeling, and he has always looked on the Queen as the cleverest ruler in Europe, as well as the most affectionate and loving of grandmothers. Both in her home life and in her position as sovereign the Queen has shown an example that must be admired 38 The Sovereign Ladies of LBurope by all, and even those who are most strong in their prejudices against Royal personages cannot but bestow a tribute of respect and admiration when they discuss Great Britain’s Queen. Through her entire life Her Majesty has been the true friend of her people in weal and woe, untiring in helping them and sympathising with them in their trials, a true friend and a ruler such as the world has never hitherto known ; by her children and her descendants she is blessed, and around her she can see the fruits of her good, unselfish life, and can look back with thankfulness on the more than eighty years that have been hers, for her life has not been spent in vain, rather has it been lived for the glory of God and in the service of mankind. Her Majesty’s own great sorrow and the desolation of her life caused by the death of her husband, which left her in the world in a splendid and solitary loneliness, did not prevent her from following out those rules which she considered right ; and in living for others she has found peace. To all women who love their husbands the loss of their companion in life is an unending sorrow ; but to the Queen it was even more, for she was left so entirely alone—a desolation that time only increased and which nothing could bridge over, a loneliness that all those who have been born in humbler stations of life can but dimly appreciate. To the Queen, with her warm, loving nature, the necessity of a friend to whom she could speak openly, with whom she could have daily intimate intercourse, was very great, and it is impossible for any one to estimate how great her loss was or how bitter the long years of loneliness have been to her since that beloved presence went out of her existence. In spite of her widowed life and her unending sorrow, the Queen bravely resumed her ber Majesty Queen Victoria 39 work, and for nearly forty years she has completely fulfilled her duties and has won the love of all. That the Queen should have reached so great an age HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN DRESS WORN DURING THE STATE JUBILEE PROCESSION, JUNE 22, 1897. (From a photograph by Hughes & Mullins.) is all the more wonderful, since she has been in imminent danger of her life on no less than fourteen occasions. Seven times she has been attacked in the public thorough- fares, but most marvellously escaped injury, except in one case, when a blow, struck with a cane, caused her serious 4o The Sovereign Ladies of Europe pain. She bears the mark of this blow to the present day. As a baby in arms she was nearly shot by a boy ; when five years of age, she was barely saved from being crushed by the pony-carriage in which she was driving, which overturned. Soon after the coronation her carriage was run away with by the horses ; fortunately, however, a plucky man stopped them, and so prevented a disaster. She has been fired at several times, has been in danger of drowning, and has been in a railway accident. On all these occasions her calmness was most astonishing, and to those who would have taken her life she showed a leniency they certainly did not deserve for the most part, but which she herself has never regretted. No wonder that Her Majesty is loved by her subjects with a reverence that is but seldom found in the world. Long may she be spared to continue to reign over her people, and give them the example of a womanly gentle presence, a personality both dignified and gracious, a character which has all those virtues so justly prized in women, combined with the qualities that go to make a great and noble ruler. Never has Britain been more prosperous than under her rule, and never have the inhabitants of the British Isles seen so many and great improvements both in public and in private life. THE MOST RECENT PORTRAIT OF THE EMPRESS. II THE EMPRESS ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA OF RUSSIA, NEE PRINCESS OF HESSE UND BEI RHEIN HE daughters of the late Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse, whose noble, unselfish life made her beloved and reverenced both in the country of her birth and in her distant home in Germany, have always been the objects of especial interest to English people, as they were left so early without a mother’s care, and, in consequence, were more with Her Majesty the Queen than any of her other foreign granddaughters. Even during their mother’s lifetime the young Princesses of Hesse were very often the guests of the Queen, and the almost daily interchange of letters between Her Majesty and her second daughter made her nearly as familiar with the home life at Darmstadt as if she had lived there herself. The Queen took the greatest interest in the education of the Princesses of Hesse, and, in consequence, they grew up with very English ideas, and with.a great. love and admiration for the home of their mother. After the death of the Grand Duchess Alice her daughters were still oftener in England or Scotland, and the Queen did all in her power to make up to them 43 44 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe the irreparable loss that they had suffered. She went to Darmstadt for the marriage of the eldest of the sisters, the Princess Victoria, to her cousin, Prince Louis of Battenberg, and up to sR, the present day has been the kindest of friends to the four Princesses, and has re- ceived frequent visits from all of them since their marriages. The Princess Alix, the youngest surviving daughter of the Grand Duchess Alice, was, after her elder sisters had all left the parental home, the almost con- stant companion of her father, to whom she was invaluable with her merry, pleasant ways ; while by the people of the Grand Duchy she was idolised, her beauty and goodness of heart making her a favourite with every one. To her brother, the present Grand Duke, she was the most companionable of sisters, always ready to enter into all his plans and sympathising with all his pleasures. The young Princess was as clever and fascinating as she was beautiful; she was not satisfied to have her friends found for her, for she preferred to seek out her companions for herself, and at Darmstadt she had a very pleasant intellectual circle of girl-friends, with whom she THE EMPRESS AS A BABY. The Lmpress of Russia 45 was on terms of affectionate intercourse, and with whom she was able to interchange thoughts. In this way she learned the opinions and manners of those in other positions in life—an education that could not fail to have an excellent effect on her thoughtful character. As she was several years younger than her three sisters, the Princess Alix was most of her time alone in the schoolroom. To remedy this, several girls belonging to Darmstadt society were found to share her studies with her, so that she might not feel so lonely and have more incen- tive to work. Her education was excellent ; but it is said of her that she was brought up more like an English girl than a Ger- man Princess, and her favourite language was and remains English to the present day. Indeed, the opinion is that she speaks Ger- man with a de- cidedly British accent, just as the members of our own Royal Family speak English with a German accent. All those girls who showed themselves worthy of her H.R.H. PRINCESS ALICE (MOTHER OF THE EMPRESS), 46 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe intimacy were admitted by the Princess Alix to her circle, irrespective of their rank; pleasant manners and intel- lectual qualifications being more important in her eyes than that they should hold a high position at Court and in society. In this way she has been able to obtain a wider and clearer insight into life than is generally the case with princesses, and the knowledge that she has of it as it is in other than royal and noble circles cannot fail to be of great benefit to her as the consort of a reigning sovereign. Like her mother, whose life was devoted to working for others, the Princess Alix has always interested herself greatly in the progress of women, and has done all in her power to promote their welfare. In Darmstadt, before her marriage, she tried to carry out all the plans and wishes of her mother for the improvement of the lives of the poor—a work which is being now forwarded by the present Grand Duchess of Hesse, who takes a vivid interest in the numerous charitable institutions of the Grand Duchy. The Princess Alix, who is highly accomplished, has a decided talent for music, and, as well as having a keen appreciation of the works of the great masters, is herself a talented musician. Her sweet voice, though not great in compass nor strong, 1s always true, and the Tzar is never tired of hearing her sing to him the beautiful old songs of Russia and Germany, on which occasions she accompanies herself in a masterly manner. She also takes an ardent interest in the drama, and was a constant and attentive playgoer when in Darmstadt. Since her marriage, whenever she has been on a visit to her old home, she and the Tzar are to be seen many evenings during the week in the Royal box, evidently thoroughly enjoying the acting. The Empress of Russia 47 The Princess was still very young when the question of her betrothal to the then Tzarevitch was first mooted. The houses of Hesse and Romanoff are nearly related through the marriage of the grandfather of the present Tzar to the Princess Marie of Hesse, a great-aunt of the Tzaritza; and as a very cordial intercourse had always been maintained between the two families, it seemed natural that the heir to the Russian throne should seek his bride amongst the relations of his grandmother, espe- cially when there were so many pretty young Princesses to be found in the Hes- sian capital. The Russian Im- perial Family had paid frequent visits to Darmstadt, so that the children of Alexander III. were not unknown to the Princess Alix, and since 1884 her sister, the beautiful Princess Ella, had been the wife of the Grand Duke Serge of Russia, an uncle ot the present Tzar. It is said that the marriage of the Princess Alix was greatly the doing of the Grand Duchess Serge, who was anxious that her youngest sister should make this brilliant alliance, and who represented to the THE EMPRESS AT THE AGE OF TWELVE, 48 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Empress Marie Feodorovna, her sister-in-law, the advan- tages of the marriage. Be this as it may, in the year 1888 the Grand Duke of Hesse received an invitation to the Russian Court for himself and the Princess Alix, and went with her to St. Petersburg in the month of December, remaining till the New Year for the New Year’s festivities. The Princess Alix was at the time in her seventeenth year, and the magnificence of the Russian Court must have made a great impression on her, coming from the simple life at Darmstadt, and at a time when she was hardly out of the schoolroom. It is said that the Tzarevitch fell deeply in love with her during this visit, and that it was then that a possible engagement was first discussed, but nothing was definitely settled. The Princess returned with her father to Darmstadt, where she continued to lead the happy, quiet life that had always satisfied her, diversified by frequent visits to her English relations, and days spent with her eldest sister, the Princess Louis of Battenberg, who had, since their mother’s death, done her best to act as a mother to her youngest sister. This quiet, peaceful life was, however, not to last ; for the Grand Duke of Hesse, whose kindly, unselfish nature had made the lives of his children so happy, was taken seriously ill, and, to the deep grief of all those who knew him, he died on March 13th, 1892. His death was the cause of the most sincere grief to his children. Naturally, the position of the Princess Alix was very much more difficult at the Court of her brother, who was unmarried and still so young. Her eldest sister, the Princess Louis of Battenberg, was, at this juncture, of great help to her, and her frequent presence at Darmstadt and Heiligenberg made it possible for the Princess Alix to The Empress of Russia 49 continue to live at Darmstadt. She was often also in England, visiting amongst her other relations. On one occasion she spent a few weeks at Harrogate, where she completely won the hearts of those who were with her ; and the people in whose house she stayed have not been forgotten, for frequent gifts’ from Russia have shown how graterul thie Empress is, and that she re- members her sojourn in Yorkshire with pleasure. Soon after the death of her father the question of her engagement to the Tzarevitch began again to agitate the minds of her relations, and many were the rumours that were published. But most people were astonished when the news of the betrothal was actually made public, the engagement having been made at Coburg, where the Princess and the Tzarevitch were staying for the marriage of the Grand Duke of Hesse to-the Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. 4. A PORTRAIT OF THE EMPRESS. 50 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The question of changing her religion had always been a most difficult point with the Princess, who is very conscientious, and who had been brought up to believe in the teachings of her own Church as right. After her betrothal she set herself diligently to work to examine conscientiously into the tenets of the Greek Orthodox Church. A priest was sent to Darmstadt to instruct her, who found in the Princess a most intelligent pupil, but not one easy to be convinced. From the time of her engagement she also began to study the Russian language with great diligence, when her linguistic talents stood her in good stead. She was able to accomplish quickly what generally is a labour of many years, Russian being the most difficult of all modern languages. As regards the change in her religion, which was absolutely necessary (as she was to be wife of the future Tzar), she remained firm in saying that she would not declare her former faith wrong and false, as she still looked upon it as the true faith. But she consented to join the Greek Church, considering that she could pray as well in the Russian Church as in that in which she had been brought up. She therefore accepted the tenets of the Church of her husband because the law required her to do so, but not because she was convinced that it was more pure or correct than her own faith. It is rare to find a young girl so firm in doing what she thinks right, and her determination to act according to the dictates of her conscience earned her the respect of all those capable of appreciating the courage and strength of character she had shown on this point. The period during which she was engaged to the Tzarevitch was saddened by the hopeless illness and subsequent death of Alexander III. During the last part The Lmpress of Russia 51 of His Majesty’s illness he expressed a wish to see his future daughter-in-law. She was accordingly sent for, and was able to help to nurse him, proving herself the greatest comfort to the Empress Marie in the first shock of her overwhelming sorrow at his death. At the wish of the dying Tzar the formal betrothal, which in Russia is as binding as the marriage service, was celebrated at his bedside ; but the actual marriage ceremony was not performed until after his death. The beginning of her married life was gloomy and very different to what could have been wished for the beautiful young Princess, who as a child had received from her loving mother the name of Sunshine, on account of her bright, merry disposition. The marriage was celebrated at St. Petersburg on November 26th, 1894, three weeks after the death of Alexander III., the Empress having been received formally into the Greek Church on the preceding 2nd of November, the day after the death of her father-in-law. As a wife and mother the Empress of Russia has shown herself a true daughter of the Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse, whom she resembles very much, both in appear- ance and in character. Her Majesty has now three daughters ; and though there is undoubtedly a little dis- appointment that the much-wished-for heir has not yet appeared, her delight and pleasure in her little girls are very great: the Tzar, also, is devoted to his children, and takes the greatest interest in their well-being. The eldest, the Grand Duchess Olga, was born on November 15th, 1895, the Grand Duchess Tatjana on June roth, 1897, and the Grand Duchess Marie on June 26th, 1899. It will be remembered that the Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse had three daughters before her first son was 52 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION, MOSCOW, WHERE THE EMPERORS ARE CROWNED. born; and when the third little daughter appeared, who is now the Princess Henry of Prussia, she said, in writing to her mother, “Baby is well and very pretty. The time she came at prevented a thought of disappoint- ment at her being a girl.” When the little Grand Duchess Olga was born, it is said that the Tzar remarked, “I am glad that our first child should be a girl, for she belongs so entirely to us, whereas a son would have been also the property of the nation.” The Grand Duchess Olga made her first long journey The Empress of Russia 53 before she was a year old, when she accompanied her parents on a visit to her great-grandmother at Balmoral, where she made the acquaintance of that sturdy young gentleman Prince Edward of York, who, it is said, became very fond of his tiny cousin, and took the greatest interest in her attempts to walk. The Grand Duchess Tatjana is a remarkably pretty child, with a great resemblance to her mother ; she has the same delicate features and colouring, whereas the Grand Duchess Olga is more like her father, and promises to be a thorough Romanoff. One of the favourite pursuits of the Empress, and one that is shared by many other Royal personages, is that of photography. She delights in taking portraits of her friends and relations, and snap-shots of her children when they are at play, so that she has a large collection of interesting and pretty pictures of the little Grand Duchesses. When at Livadia last year, Her Majesty, who spent a great part of the time in the gardens watching her children at play, always had her camera with her, and was able to get some most charming photographs both of her children and also of the ‘Tzar. The Grand Duchess Olga, young as she is, has a very good idea of her own importance as the eldest daughter of the Tzar, and takes pleasure in seeing the sentries salute her. At Livadia she insisted on constantly passing and repassing the sentry on duty in order to get her salutation; and when the Empress noticed this, she forbade her daughter to give the man so much trouble, when there were many tears shed by her small Imperial Highness. She already talks Russian, French, and English, and learns the three languages without difficulty. She is a very clever child, and keeps her attendants in a 54 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe constant state of amusement when she is with them, though she promises to be difficult to train when she grows older. The Empress is always glad to spend a few weeks in her old home at Darmstadt, where she is able to meet her former friends and to lead the simple life that she loves so well. Darmstadt is for the present Emperor and Empress of Russia what Denmark was for the late Alexander III. and his wife—a holiday place, where it is possible for them to forget the duties and trials of their life and the thorns that hedge around a crown, where they can live as they wish, and indulge in the simple pleasures that are always so dear to those who, by reason of their lofty position, are obliged to spend the greater part of their lives in state, and exposed to the criticism of the world. English is the language used by the Emperor and IXmpress in their private intercourse ; and now that it is known to be the favourite language of Her Majesty, it has become more prevalent amongst the members of the Court than was formerly the case. French was the language usually spoken, though latterly, under Alexander HII., the Russian language had become the tongue most used in society and at Court. The present Tzar is an excellent linguist, and speaks English perfectly ; while to the Empress it is the same a3 her mother-tongue, as from a tiny child it has been the language to which she has been most accustomed. She is certainly always happiest when she is speaking English. The great influence exercised by Queen Victoria over her Hessian granddaughters is very strongly evident in the Empress, who has imbibed all the ideas of her grandmother, and whose chief wish is to do her duty “MODSOW ‘ADVIVd IVINAINI JHL 4O Luvd LNAIONV NV NI WOON 56 The Sovereign DLadies of Burope thoroughly and to help others; her strong love of justice, her goodness of heart, and the instinctive know- ledge of character that she shows, are all characteristics which she shares with the Sovereign of Great Britain and Ireland. The Empress excels in fine needlework, and many of her embroideries are quite perfect in the beauty of the stitches and the artistic taste shown in the colours employed. She is also fond of making little garments for her children, and is rarely without a piece of work in her hand when she is sitting with the Emperor, who likes to have her by him, even when he is engaged with weighty affairs. Her Majesty sits quietly in her chair, and her presence seems to bring a sense of contentment to the Tzar, as she is always ready, when he speaks to her, to give him sympathy and encouragement in what- ever he may be doing. As the Empress was brought up at Darmstadt in the simplest manner possible, she must have found the change to Russia almost overwhelming. Until she left the schoolroom, all her dresses were made at Darmstadt, and, until she was confirmed, her pocket-money consisted of one mark a week, which was raised to double that sum after she had gone through the rite of confirmation. Amongst the many practical things that she learnt as a girl was cooking, and in her young days she took a great delight in making cakes and preparing sweet dishes. In her tastes the Empress, as Princess Alix of Hesse, was very English. She delighted in outdoor pursuits, was a first-rate tennis player, a graceful skater, and a good horse- woman, while she was devoted to dancing, and quite shared her brother’s pleasure in arranging entertainments at Darmstadt, where the usual amusements were dancing The Lmpress of Russia 57 and theatricals. On one occasion a minuet was danced In costume, in which Princess Alix took part, and a photograph was taken of the scene at the moment when she had begun to dance. The Empress is fortunately gifted with great deter- mination of character, which cannot fail to stand her in good stead through life. The Princess Sonnenschein, as she was named by her mother, has lost much of the outward merriment that made her so worthy of the name; for she has become a reserved, dignified sovereign, and it is only when alone with those she loves that the Sonnenschein can be seen. But it can be said with truth that she has brought true sunshine into the life of her husband. In person the Empress is very tall—taller than her husband. Her manner to strangers is as full of repose as a statue—full of a cold and exceedingly stately charm. Her complexion is of great fairness, her features regular, with delicately arched brows over large eyes of dark greyish blue. A very slight mole marks the corner of her mouth on one cheek. Her voice, ordinarily low and deep, breaks, when she is laughing, into a kind of falsetto. In private life the stateliness and coldness of manner vanish. She is brimming over with good-nature and mischievous humour; but at no moment is it possible to mistake the underlying strength and earnestness of her character. What has already been said about her conscientious scruples with regard to the change in her religion is sufficient to show this, and it is said that the writings of Mr. Birbeck on the nearness of the Greek orthodoxy to primitive Christianity formed one of the great helps she had in smoothing the way for her conversion. The Russian Court far surpasses in splendour every 58 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe other European Court, and no Western imagination can conceive the splendour of the jewels—the colossal super- fluity of magnificence—which the wealth of generations of nobles in Europe, the servility of unnumbered sultans, Asiatic kings and potentates, have heaped at the foot of the Russian Emperor. He is, after all, the chief of the clan of sultans, shahs, and ameers ; and there remains, and perhaps will always remain, much of the Oriental in the Russian—one of the Oriental traits being shown in the half-barbaric, half-childish love of splendour. That is a characteristic of all Russians, which can be seen in national art and work of every kind. Now, it is singularly interesting to find that the young Princess (who is the granddaughter of our Queen), when suddenly elevated to a throne beside that of the most powerful of human beings—for such the Tzar is—should adopt a new attitude towards such display. This interest- ing attitude I shall presently reveal. What, then, were the means of magnificence at her disposal? She found herself the mistress of twelve vast palaces in or near St. Petersburg, including the enormous Winter Palace, with its wide public square, in which the bronze and granite column, surmounted by a huge black- winged Victory, stands to the memory of Alexander I., and, besides, the Hermitage, which now contains the most wonderful of art galleries and the most perfect collection of Greek art and Greek vasesin the world. At Tzarskoé- Selo, about twelve miles off, there is a perfect nest of Imperial palaces; and at Peterhof, at about the same distance, there is a similar group of residences and parks. The Empress had but to lift a finger of choice. But when first she went to Russia, she preferred to live in none of these. NATION ROBES. MPEROR IN HIS CORO THE E 60 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe It is difficult to give any adequate notion of the treasures of this Emperor and Empress, and it would be easy to waste pages in attempting to describe a tithe of the splendour which I have seen in the treasuries of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The dome-shaped crown worn by the Emperor at his coronatton—which to a spectator at no great distance closely resembles the mitre of the ancient and now extinct Patriarchate—has on its summit a cross formed of six splendid diamonds, which stand on a huge spinel ruby. Arches of enormous flawless pearls support the great centre arch of the crown, while the band which encircles the head of the Emperor is studded with twenty-eight large diamonds. The crown of the Empress, however, surpasses in loveliness all other ornaments in the world. It is an incrusted mass of a hundred diamonds (all of the purest and most perfect water), which cluster round an immense sapphire, whilst the whole is set in a multitude of other faultless stones. In the private treasury at Moscow I have seen, each on its pillar of marble, the marvellous crowns of Russia, the nine great historical crowns of the realm. Standing by these crowns, on separate dais, are the Imperial thrones. The Tzar was crowned on a throne of ivory studded with precious stones a throne simple and severe in outline, which was in the year 1472 the seat of the last Emperor of Constantinople. On the ivory are carved scenes from the lives of the gods. Next to it stands the throne of the Empress, which is equally beautiful, and which was given to a Tzar by an ancient Shah of Persia. It is thickly incrusted with twelve hundred and twenty-three rubies and eight hundred and seventy-six diamonds, beside pearls and turquoises. The Lmpress of Russia 61 I have mentioned but a few of the most prominent contents of the private treasuries. But if it be remem- bered that Russia is a jewel-loving nation; that the labour of countless millions of serfs, for many hundreds of years, has been employed in supplying the Emperor, the Church, and the nobles with the condensed wealth of gems ; and that a vast part of this wealth has flowed to the Sovereign,—then some faint and distant idea of the jewels of the Empress may be obtained. I have also closely examined the dresses worn by the Empress and the Empress-Mother at the coronation. That of the former was plainly cut and outlined, of pure cloth-of-silver. It was embroidered down the bodice and the front with scrolls of silver and pearls, and had long hanging sleeves in the style of the fifteenth century. Over their gowns both Empresses wore Court mantles of cloth-of-gold, embroidered all over with black Russian eagles and trimmed with ermine. I remarked that the eagles and arms of the cloak worn by the Empress- Mother were even larger and more magnificent than those worn by her son and the reigning Empress. The little shoes worn by the Empress were unjewelled and of plain white satin, while her stockings were of pure white semi-transparent silk. The Empress’s dresses were made for the occasion—not in Paris, but by the wonderful Russian silk-weaving firm of Moscow, named Shapojnikoff. So extraordinary is the skill of this firm, we were told by our courier, that, when it was desired to furnish the old Romanoff House at Moscow in the style of the fifteenth century, these weavers actually made silk of the exact faded colour, design, and texture of three centuries ago, even to the extent of imitating the action of moths and frayings on the silk. 62 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe But let me return to the residence of the Empress. Imagine for a moment that the visitor to the Court expresses a wish to see the chief Imperial residence— the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg. Immediately you will be consigned to the care of a whiskered footman- usher of immense grandeur. His coat is edged with thick gold braid from tails to collar—a broad band, embroidered everywhere with the ominous black Imperial eagle. These functionaries, who swarm in the Palace, wear knee-breeches ; but, instead of stockings, brown fox- cloth gaiters descend to their silver-buckled shoes. The Winter Palace is built on one side along the river Neva. It is a colossal pile, about five hundred feet square, facing the Alexander I. column. Opposite to the Palace, at the other side of the immense square, is a semicircle of reddish ministerial buildings, pierced in the centre by a huge red-and-black archway, lined with metal reliefs, and bearing aloft a bronze chariot and four prancing horses of victory. When the young Empress looks out of her boudoir window in winter— when the wind is howling into the snowy square through the carved tunnel of the arch of Victory—she sees nothing but that symbol of triumph and the solitary column to the glory of the conqueror of Napoleon. With one discreet exception (that of the statue to Kryloff, the writer of children’s fables), there are no public statues in St. Petersburg save those to Emperors, and the mind of the spectator becomes oppressed by this pervading adoration of the throne that would seem to ~ exclude all other veneration. In the Hermitage Palace the usher, in black and gold, precedes one up the wide and very lofty marble steps, issuing on to a large corridor-hall, full of beautiful The Lmpress of Russia 63 statues by famous sculptors. Two of these represent Voltaire—one a bust, and one sitting in a loose robe in his armchair, just as he used to talk to his crony Catherine II. There is also an exquisite but too dhe FOUNTAINS OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE, PETERHOF. feminine Apollino by Canova. A private door leads us into the Winter Palace. The polished floors, reflecting the white statues, widen through double doors into a series of immense white halls—the rooms of state—some of them as large as Westminster Hall. One traverses, 64 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe with echoing footsteps, hall after hall of this kind, till the feet grow weary with the acreage of this magnificence. Forests of tall, shining white pillars of marble and stucco surround each audience-room and ball-room. At the end of several is a dais, with double thrones, under a wide and deep canopy. Here it was that the Emperor and Empress sat to receive the congratulations and gifts after their marriage. The Empress, lifting her eyes, could perceive, between every pair of pillars surrounding the hall, lofty beds or patterns of encased round shields and wide salvers, all silver and gold. What were these salvers and shields? The gifts presented to her pre- decessors on a like occasion. Every leafy alcove in the endless procession of pillars along the interminable succession of halls is filled with these golden or silver salvers, five thousand in all. It is difficult, I may say impossible, for the Emperor and Empress to really speak with or have any intimate acquaintance with this affectionate Russian people, and many times the free, happy life at Balmoral must have filled the young Tzaritza with longings that it were possible for her to talk to the subjects of her husband as she was used in former days to have intercourse with the Scotch peasants on the Dee-side. Never can they love her as the English love their Queen, for she is too far off. The hut of the moujik is at too great a distance beneath the steps of the throne for the Empress, gracious as she is, ever to understand the hardships of the millions of the Russian poor. The ornaments of the state-rooms are, like everything else in Russia, colossal. The ball-room of Nicholas I. has a most brilliant appearance at night in winter. Two gigantic candelabra of massive Russian crystal, about The Empress of Russia 65 eight feet high, stand on the floor, one at each side of the wide doors of the supper-room, all these candelabra being now lighted with electricity by an English firm. The officers’ brilliant uniforms, their breasts covered with decorations, the star of the Imperial Guard and the yellow ribbon and gilt cross of St. George with its blue centre ; the splendid attire of the throng of women (for Russian ladies almost always have their clothes from Paris, and are celebrated for their exquisite taste) ; the tables in two rows, each under its lofty palm-trees, stretching down one of the largest halls, and giving a sit-down supper to every guest,—all make a scene of extraordinary beauty. Fruit-trees, bearing their ‘“ golden lamps hid in a night of green,” and heavy-leaved tropical ferns, rise everywhere in the hall out of the banks of deep and sparkling verdure ; while under the hum of conversa- tion and music one can hear, close at hand, the tuneful chirrup of birds in long golden cages, and the droppings of silvery fountain water from two white marble springs set in the wall and pouring from seven outstretched shining shells one after another. When in residence at the Winter Palace, the Empress attends early service in the lofty gilded chapel. This church contains an e/kon, or pictured image, of immense age, representing the face of our Saviour, and attributed to the hands of the painter St. Luke the Apostle himself. It is so dark that, except for one large eye, the face is almost indiscernible ; but the gold-metal surface about the sacred head is inlaid with a necklace of diamonds and a sapphire of enormous size. Beneath the ancient picture, within the same glass case, are two embalmed but crumbling hands. One, in a massive box set with twelve huge sapphires and diamonds, is said to be the hand of 5 66 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe St. John the Baptist. The other is that of a woman, and the slender bone of one finger is still encircled by an ancient jewelled ring. It is supposed to be the hand of Mary Magdalene. Close to the private apartments of the young Empress, and very seldom seen by any strangers, are two unused rooms, which nevertheless look as if they are inhabited. They are the rooms of the murdered Alexander II. To them he was borne from the fatal canal bridge—out yonder by the Nevski Prospect—with his lower limbs shattered by the bomb flung by ruthless hands ; and there, an hour or two later, he died in unconsciousness. It is impossible to look round without strange emotion. The outer room was Alexander’s study. It is lined with black bookcases, crowned with Roman Emperors’ heads, but scantily supplied with books, although divided into sections for jurisprudence, history, theology, etc. All these works are in Russian, and the few titles I saw were of historical or devotional character. In the centre of the study is a little silver monu- ment, presented by the Russian Guards to their Colonel. On the writing-table are two statuettes, one being of Jukovski, the tutor of the murdered Emperor, a man with intelligent eyes, but pursy cheeks, drooping head, and an indolent, weakly good-humoured air. Jukovski was a Byronic poet. Near the fireplace, on a table, is spread an exceedingly broad piece of blue satin, embroidered by the young ladies of the Spaska Convent, all girls of high rank. Passing into the inner room from this library and intimate council-chamber, where the Tzar used to talk to his generals in confidence, one enters another bare study, which was also his bedroom. Here all is left The Empress of Russia 67 as at the moment of death. There is the well-worn old leathern armchair, and worn grey dressing-gown lying over its back. On every table is a loosely folded pocket-handkerchief, for it was the fancy of the Emperor to find one ready wherever he might turn. On his writing-table is an old brass box of matches and a half-smoked cigarette, laid down by the Tzar when he went out for his last fatal drive. Two or three little bronze vases and a small marble lion for a letter-weight, some broken pens and _ stained blotting- paper, still litter the table. On the washhand-stand are the cracked oval piece of soap, the towels and shaving- brush, all intact. Between the windows stands a little clock ; it has stopped, and the hands point to thirty- three minutes past three, the moment when the Tzar ceased to breathe. The calendar on the mantelpiece still indicates the fatal day, March 1st, 1881. Here, in the presence of Imperial Death, man has endeavoured to make time stand still in awe. Behind the wall, between two archways, in the shallow recess, stands the simple soldier’s bed of the peace-loving Tzar ; his cavalry sabre is in a brass rack at the foot of the bed; while near it, spread on a shelf, are the little brown frock and pinafore of a child of ten years, the small Grand Duchess, who was so dear to her father that he could never let these souvenirs of her pass from his eyes. By the little frock is a piece of woollen embroidery, wrought by that little dead daughter’s hands. Passing out of these two sad rooms, we come to the present apartments of the young Emperor and Empress. Here an extraordinary change is observable from the elaborate splendours of the lower rooms. The taste of the present Tzaritza is simple, and, in her private life, she 68 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe does not care for the somewhat barbaric splendour to be found in the rest of the Palace. Bothshe and her husband prefer to surround themselves with the simplest furniture and decorations. The broad comfortable sofa in the bedroom is covered with simple English cretonne ; the bedroom crockery, which has a pretty pink pattern, is of plain English make ; and the chairs are of the plainest design in oak. A great deal of the new furniture in the Palace was, in fact, sent from London. Like her mother, the late Grand Duchess Alice, and her aunt, the Empress Frederick, the Empress prefers simplicity and an easy life. She is familiar with the less ceremonious English country-house ways. Any one who has stayed at Sandringham knows that the social life there could not well be less formal. At the unpunctual breakfast- and luncheon-parties all is in easy, friendly style, and there is a great contrast between the chilly dignity observed in the houses of many English noble- men and the cheery gaiety and ease of the Prince’s household. The Empress of Russia has been greatly influenced by this English method of country-house life observed by her English relations, and she therefore prefers to live as quietly as possible in her husband’s huge Empire, and, in her home life, to follow the simple course that she enjoyed in her girlhood. A secluded house in the Peterhof Park is a very favourite home of hers. Into this place, surrounded by a tall green hedge, none but the most favoured statesmen and ladies can penetrate. All round there is a thick park of natural woods, with artificial lakes ; and here the Emperor and Empress are able to lead an unrestricted life. The house arrangements are ordered on much the same lines as at Sandringham. There are the same cheery breakfasts, The Empress of Russia 6y and along the wooded drives the Empress goes out with her children, and sits amongst the greenery with her little daughters, hearing, in the distance, the sound ZB THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA IN HER CORONATION ROBES, of the lofty fountains of the state palace of Peterhof. For the same reasons—namely, greater privacy and the convenience of shady woods for the children—a small 70° The Sovereign Ladies of LBurope palace, the Alexander, at Tzarskoé-Selo, has been preferred as a residence to the Old Palace, a great white structure, nearly eight hundred feet long, and built by Catherine II. But once outside that green hedge the Tzar becomes superhuman. He is the personal god of all the Russians. The country round Tzarskoé-Selo, which is reached in about an hour and a half’s drive from St. Petersburg, is rather flat, with long stretches of grass-land and woods in the distance. Bits of marsh alternate with poor corn-fields, in which one sees women working (the men go off to the town). Then copses of silver birch approach the road, and between them are seen golden cupolas on some little rise of ground, a distant monastery breaking the wide monotony of the landscape. The village of Tzarskoé-Selo is almost entirely composed of little wooden-balconied villas, tenanted by the most fashion- able of the aristocracy during the summer, when they are not away shooting in Finland or yachting on the Finnish Gulf. The owners of these little villas hang out flags of rejoicing on every day kept as a festival by their Imperial neighbour—festooning them with bunting, for example, on the birthday of the little Grand Duchess Olga. The old Summer Palace of Catherine II. has been already mentioned. It is a favourite place for picnics with the Tzaritza when she is living at the small palace in the park. Her favourite room is a lofty and beautiful apartment, entirely panelled from floor to ceiling with a carved inlaying of pure and priceless amber. The lovely mellow effect of this soft cloudy substance, swelling here and there into chubby cupids and reclining nymphs, makes the visitor doubt whether he is not asleep or in fairyland. Not only walls but vases and delicate The Limpress of Russia 71 cabinets of golden amber meet the eye everywhere. A room hard by has a dark floor of ebony, covered with delicate scrolls and traceries of mother-of-pearl, all fresh and fair as the day’s dawn. Her Majesty is fond of taking her tea on the beautiful white terrace or raised garden which projects like a prodigious white pier from Catherine’s Palace; and here, far above the gardens, she will sit in a comfortable basket- chair and chat with the beautiful maid-of-honour who accompanied her on her first visit after her marriage to England. A row of bronze heads of Roman Emperors seem to listen to the gay conversation of Her Majesty and her lady-in-waiting. The Tzaritza begins to draw in a sketch-book. The Emperor, who has just arrived home from shooting, comes unexpectedly up the inclined ascent to the hanging garden, and surprises the im- provised tea-party. He laughingly asks his wife what she is drawing. ‘Oh, caricatures, as usual.” He humorously insists on seeing these secret drawings, and, after some resistance, they are produced. There, sketched off in the Empress’s bold strokes, are the stout, short, nervous figure, the darkish face, grey moustache, and spectacles of a well-known statesman ; there is the inimitable figure of Li Hung Chang, in his yellow jacket, as he appeared at the last ball in the Winter Palace. A hasty water-colour of Sir Nicholas O’Connor is very characteristic : the solemn lantern face, fine earnest eyes, the tall figure and shambling gait, the red mutton-chop whiskers, are reproduced with excellent effect. The Empress has a great talent for drawing likenesses, and her keen sense of the ridiculous makes her caricatures quite perfect, while the good-humour shown in the sketches prevents any one from feeling offended. The Tzar takes 72 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe a great delight in this talent of his wife, and always likes to see any new work she has done ; and he has himself not escaped from being drawn. In the park below the terrace, on the lake, models of quaint boats of all nations are floating. The park is itself immense, and left very much in its natural state. In it are artificial ruins, white marble bridges, pyramids, and a curious summer dining-house, where the Shah was entertained, in which no servants are present at the meal. At the end of every course a bell is touched, and the entire table and all the dishes descend through the floor, to reappear freshly laden in the manner of the Arabian Nights. Among the green glades peeps out a Chinese village, tenanted by the servants of the Empress, with dragons glowering and spouting at the passer-by from the roofs and corners of the houses, But perhaps the favourite haunt of the Empress is a small shrine, thickly embowered among trees, in which stands a solitary girlish statue— the touching figure of the Princess Alexandrine, favourite daughter of Nicholas I. She was married to Prince Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel, and died a few months after her marriage. This lovely arched shrine is surrounded by carefully tended flowers. The white marble figure, in long draperies, has a beautiful, quiet face, and she has her baby in her arms. Ina thatched cottage close by is a water- colour picture of her, in a blue dress—a sweet face, the hair worn low over the ears, the bodice low and long- waisted. Under the picture is written a never-forgotten childish saying of hers: ‘Fe sais, Papa, que vous navez pas plus grand plaisir que d’en faire @ Maman.” The touching pain and affection of a father in recording this must make the figure almost as interesting to the visitor as to the young Empress herself. The LWmpress of Russta 73 To her simple country house at Peterhof the Tzaritza has carried but few of her thousands of wedding presents. Most of these were of gold and silver plate, and are standing about in the private apartments in the palace at Moscow in glass cases. Nevertheless, there were three presents which were so greatly admired by Her Majesty that she has not made up her mind to part with them. One was presented by the French people, and two by the Japanese. The French gift is a most exquisitely wrought piece of tapestry, so delicately coloured that it occupied the workmen for a period of fifteen years. This the Empress has transferred from Moscow, where it was brought by the ambassador, to her private rooms at Peterhof. The two Japanese gifts were singular indeed, and perhaps of still greater beauty. One was an enormous ivory sea-eagle, larger than life. Its white talons grip an ancient brown stump of mountain cedar with broad gnarled roots. The body of the great bird cowers in vengeful anger, with an upward turn of the keen flat head and wide eyes. The delicacy of the feathery carving, with the intense force and simplicity of the design, makes this a masterpiece for all time. The other remarkable Japanese gift is a threefold screen, worked in grey and greenish-white silk, representing a stormy sea and the foam of breakers. Here again the artist has shown extraordinary imagination as well as restrained power and refinement. The effect is simply superb. The great Chinese gift, consisting also of silken screens in red and yellow, does not bear comparison with that of Japan. The private bedroom of the Empress in the old Moscow Palace is not artistic. The room is not large, and is hung with light blue satin brocade. A 74 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe thermometer in winter hangs by the right-hand window, by which to regulate the temperature. The four-post bed, with blue hangings, stands in a slight recess. To the right of it, in the usual corner, hangs a case of little eikons and relics for evening devotion. It contains a triptych of the transfiguration of the Virgin and an enamelled portrait of St. Nicholas. No pictures hang on the walls, and the electric lights look like wax candles. The tables and other furniture are incrusted with brass and tortoise-shell in the heavy Louis Seize style. Much more could be written about the Empress and her daily life in the strange and secluded Court of Russia, and all those who have the honour and happiness of knowing Her Majesty will hope that the happy married life that is now hers may continue peacefully, and, above all, that under her influence and the rule of Nicholas II. we may live to see the highest ideals realised both in Russia and in other parts of Europe. The noble efforts of the Tzar to promote peace and the blessings of civilisa- tion are well known now; and the Peace Conference, which, at his wish, has met to consider the most important matter that can occupy the minds of men, it is hoped will be the beginning of a happier state of things. The Empress thoroughly sympathises with her husband in his efforts to promote the cause of peace; for, like her mother and all deep thinkers, she fully recognises the horrors of war and the fearful crimes and terrors that follow in its train. Alexander III. was called the . Sovereign of Peace. His son has shown himself actively anxious to help on the cause, and to put an end to the horrors that have so often prevented the progress of civilisation. THE PRINCESS ROYAL. (After a sketch by F. III THE EMPRESS FREDERICK, NEE PRINCESS ROYAL OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND BS NE of the three cleverest women I have ever met,’ Bismarck called her. And all that is known of Victoria, Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland, from her baby don-mols and juvenile accidents to her first pretty public appearance in Ireland at nine years old; from her playing at housekeeping in the Swiss cottage to her direction of many a vast household of her own; from her first childish sight of ‘ unser Fritz’ at the Great Exhibition to her betrothal to him ; from her accession to the Imperial throne ; in fact, down to her very horoscope,—all that one knows of this illus- trious lady, not only confirms Bismarck’s opinion, but shows a woman with the strongest powers of endurance, of affection felt and inspired, a spiritually minded woman, a devoted, conscientious, magnanimous, and, on the whole, I should say, a happy woman. The Princess Royal was a very sweet-looking child. I remember a rough drawing of her by T. M. Joy— a softened Georgian face in a quaint cap, and the stiff gown of some old German costume, in which Queen Victoria had commissioned him to sketch the child, I think, in 1842. The original is naturally in the possession of Her Majesty. 77 78 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The? Ghappy. childhood of the Empress Frederick is known by all English people. As the first-born of her parents, she was always the especial com- panion and favour- ite of her father, who was delighted to find in_ his eldest daughter a Princess of un- usual talents and genius. The close affection which bound her both to her father and to her mother, and their unbroken confidence in her, are one strong proof of the fine poise and temper of the young Princess’s mind. Her parents were never tired of speaking thankfully and lovingly of “Vicky.” So loyal and companionable was she, that from nine to ten years old she was already, on the one hand, the companion of a father whose wisdom, spirituality, and active benevolence were far in advance of his age, and, on the other hand, of a mother who, herself a most brilliant woman, has never since ceased to lean on her. Such close association with her parents, added to the usual studies of a young girl, was morally and intellectually stimulating. THE PRINCESS ROYAL AT THE AGE OF ELEVEN MONTHS. (After a sketch by the Queen.) The Empress Frederick 79 The Prince Consort supplemented tutors and governesses by his own loving efforts, and had the strongest sense of the spiritual responsibilities of a parent towards the plastic growth in his hands. He made his favourite daughter translate German literature dealing with German policy retrospectively and in futuro, in such a spirit of liberality and breadth as might inspire a future sovereign with a just and noble ambition and a healthy and courageous discrimination. The Empress, who has always had a strong bent for art, had from a girl showed a very decided talent for painting. Before her marriage, when in her sixteenth year, she painted a picture of the relief of Lucknow, which was said to be full of talent. At the close of the war, Miss Florence Nightingale visited the Queen at Balmoral, where she laid before her the evils of the then existing hospital system. Then it was that the Princess Royal received her first impulse towards that branch of feminine work which Miss Nightingale created—military nursing : a branch which the Princess afterwards made her own, and which throughout the Franco-German war so successfully occupied her practical energies. It is clear that, like her mother before her, the Princess had a real appreciation of the Royal responsibilities, coupled with an almost religious enthusiasm for right guidance and right-doing in whatever path lay before her, both from the affectionate record of her mother of the strict moral control to which the Prince Consort subjected his eldest daughter, and from his own later correspondence. Not every daughter would put up with anything so dull as this young girl’s preparation for public life, not every girl desires to learn or will learn either under entreaty or force ; and this is just because there isso rarely a religious basis to education. But here was a young girl, born in 80 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe the purple, with whom there was no question of ceaseless gaieties, excitements, laxity, and still less of what we observe in the middle classes, namely, of coaxing and bribing to pass examinations, or of all-round indulgence and cotton-wool, “for fear of making her discontented ”’ (as the inane phrase goes). Here was a girl, almost a child, bred in self-sacrifice and the half-obsolete maxim “Duty for duty’s sake,” initiated, trained, and at length consulted in matters of State policy which perplex the best heads in the kingdom, and that by an authority so profound, so conscientious, and so versatile that we are only now beginning to see what Engand owes to him. This was the young girl who was loved from the time she was ten by Frederick of Prussia ; and this was the woman who, long after she was a wife, remained her father’s eager and responsive pupil. The rather severe mental discipline to which she was subjected as a girl did the Princess Royal good, just as it had benefited her Royal mother before her—a fact worth emphasising during the modern contest for and against woman’s higher education. That a girl, educated in such a manner, and withal gifted as was the Princess Royal, could not fail to be a power wherever she might be was certain, and all those who met her in her youth and during the first years of her married life were struck by her great mental qualities and her charming manners. The Crown Prince, after- wards Emperor Frederick, was well aware of the treasure he possessed in his wife ; and the happiest memory that the Empress has is that she rendered the life of her beloved husband as happy at it was possible for him in the career that was his. Like her mother, our own dear Queen, the Empress Frederick was devoted to her The Empress Frederick 81 husband ; and all those who had the honour of knowing the late Emperor could perfectly understand the rever- ence and love with which he was regarded by all those who were near him. The first years of the married life of Her Majesty were very happy and spent in comparative quietude ; but even in those early days she was always anxious to work for others, and many useful institutions were founded by her influence and initiative. She had always a_ very affectionate feeling for the home of her birth; and as she was very young at the time of her marriage, her comments on the difference between England and Prussia gave a certain amount of offence to those who were sensitive about their own country. By all those who understood the noble char- acter of the youthful Princess she was considered charming, and by her husband she was adored. As a wife and mother the Empress has always been admired in Germany, and her devotion to her husband in his last illness gained the sympathy of every one, though there was undoubtedly a strong feeling at an English doctor being chosen, especially when the illness of the Emperor Frederick ended fatally. The Empress has had many trials and great difficulties to overcome during her life in the past ; but now, though it may not be the happiest part of her life, she is certainly at peace, and never has 6 THE LATE EMPEROR FREDERICK, 82 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope she been so well understood and popular in the Fatherland as at the present day. Bismarck, who was always opposed to any woman having power in the State, did all he could to undermine her influence and render her impotent in the country and unpopular with the people. This course of conduct he had also pursued with the Empress Augusta, who, like her daughter-in-law, was a wide and liberal- minded Princess. When Bismarck left office, the Empress Frederick began to be better understood by the people. At Cronberg, the beautiful country home that she has built for herself, she has made many friends, and is simply adored by the inhabitants of that little town and of the surrounding neighbourhood. Her kindness and thought for her poorer neighbours are proverbial, and her simple manner of living and the fact that she holds intercourse with all kinds of people have opened out a vista to the inhabitants of this favoured district of the powers for good a sovereign lady has. The Empress takes an interest in everything that concerns the town of Cronberg and its inhabitants. The numerous artists who live there she visits at their work ; at her initiative new schools have been established ; the ancient Schloss has been restored at her cost, and will be used as a museum; the poor are cared for; and those who have the honour of Her Majesty’s acquaintance always receive a hospitable welcome from her at Schloss Friedrichs- hof. Her greatest happiness is to live a simple country life at Cronberg, surrounded by her children and grand- children, with whom she makes pleasant excursions in the beautiful neighbourhood. Old friends or the members of her family staying at Homburg are always sure of a pleasant, affectionate reception from Her Majesty. “AOHSHIINGAINA SSOTHIS 84 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Schloss Friedrichshof is a most charming building. It looks southward across the Taunus range of hills, and is slightly sheltered by the gentle hollow of a wood, which fades into picturesque meadow-lands, and which separates the Imperial domains from Cronberg. The Castle stands on a green incline within sight of the old ruined Cronberg Castle tower on the opposite hill, but as completely shut off from the town as the widowed Empress is from the old life of stormy political factions. Stately rise the somewhat irregular and strag- gling towers, from one of which, not the highest, the Imperial flag is flying. The railway-station is hidden out of sight in the wooded hollow, and an occasional whistle comes muffled through the leafage, but scarcely reaches the Castle wood. This building is a dream of palatial beauty and a fitting home for an Empress and a Royal lady who has so keen a sense of the beauty of life and nature as Her Majesty the Empress Frederick. There are no actual state-apartments at Schloss Friedrichshof, for all the rooms are meant for use; but if necessary space could be found for a Royal retinue. The main approach, with finely wrought iron entrance- gates, is off a high-road, and through these gates a pleasant glimpse may be gained of the grounds. These lie to the north; while the garden-front, which is the principal side, faces almost due south. The east wing consists chiefly of offices, with a separate courtyard and entrance. The light and lofty entrance-hall is well planned, giving easy access to most of the apartments on that level, and to the broad corridor which admits to the rest. It is used as a living-room, and has to be traversed by everybody in order to reach the grand staircase. In the gallery is an excellent organ, ‘QUGZANOUD AO MAIA V 86 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The colour-effect is quaint, and seems to express the dominant mind of the owner, which is as it should be. The nature that ‘has no bar” (as Emerson says) has characteristically disdained paint, and relies on the natural tints of wood, freestone, and plaster, and the black and white marble of the floor. The same simplicity, or natural taste and art-feeling (which Ruskin, I think, first pointed out as honourable in medieval art, and Charles Eastlake emphasised later), has made the hinges a feature, not a secret, of the doors, which are built wide and without finger-plates. The number of doors and other openings is rather noticeable, and it is said the width of the entrances is to accommodate invalids in chairs or carriages. The same critical taste has fitted up, in the ultra- refined, semi-classic style called Louis Seize, the ante- room, all white and gold, with panels of a sort of slatey-blue silk, a colour which gives great effect to the fine historic furniture. There is also an Italian Renaissance room (the red drawing-room), and a Gothic room (the octagonal breakfast-room), with vaulted ceiling of stone, black-and-white floor, and recess, glazed to protect a collection of ancient glass and china. The Empress, who personally superintended the building and furnishing of the place, may well be pleased with the result. Her residence is one of the most beautiful in the Fatherland, and is a real home as well as a Royal residence. Her Majesty has a great deal of sound art-knowledge, and, in her many wanderings, has collected numerous curios, bits of old oak, old silver, old sculpture, pictures and engravings, as well as tapestry and ancient furniture, which she has picked up often in quite out-of-the-way places, so that Schloss Friedrichshof has become a veritable The Lmpress Frederick 87 museum as well as dwelling-place. The Empress has a warm sympathiser in her youngest son-in-law, Prince Friedrich Carl of Hesse-Cassel, who shares her taste for antiquities, possesses great knowledge on the subject, and whose especial delight is in antique furniture. The Kaiserin Friedrich leads a very happy life at Cronberg, generally surrounded by her children and grandchildren, and with the additional pleasure of meet- ing many relations and old friends at Homburg. Still a vigorous horsewoman, and riding often twice daily, early and late, for a couple of hours at a stretch, she visits all the people on her estates and her pet institutions in the neighbourhood. All that one hears about her shows how she has won the hearts of her Cronberg neighbours, and how kind and good she is to every one. During late years the Empress has taken the greatest interest in the restoration of the old Castle of Cronberg, which was given to her by the present Emperor, and which she intends to turn into a museum. Some very interesting frescoes have been discovered on the walls of the Castle, which was in a half-ruined condition, and which, for many years, had been used as a school. It is not generally known that the Empress is not only a painter, and a very successful one, but that she has also studied designing, and has designed some beautiful glass. Her talents are many, and, like her elder son, she can turn her hand to anything, and appears to possess universal knowledge. Since the marriage of her youngest daughter to Prince Friedrich Carl of Hesse-Cassel, she has very seldom been alone, as one or the other of her daughters has always been with her, and the summers have been brightened by the merry voices of the little Princes of Hesse-Cassel, who always spend the warmer part of 88 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe the year at Cronberg. The Crown Prince and Princess of Greece and their three children also make a point of passing a part of the summer with Her Majesty, so that her life cannot be termed lonely, and her days are full of interest and happiness. The last letter of the Prince Consort to his well-beloved daughter is dated Windsor Castle, November 1gth, 1861, and is significant of both father and child. These pathetic words—pathetic because they are the last that she received from him—are like an outstretched hand of blessing, not only upon her past, but pointing the future road. They rivet the love of all hearts on Albert’s first and favourite child. “May your life,” he wrote, ‘which has begun beautifully, expand still further to the good of others and the contentment of your own mind. True inward happiness is to be sought only in the internal consciousness of effort systematically directed to good and useful ends.” That blessing, that contentment, even after the purging of the furnace, that true inward happiness, like the after-glow behind the sun, have surely remained with the daughter of Albert the Good and the wife of Frederick the Noble, and will remain to the end. ‘NHUCTIHD YFH GNV LNAOAU-NAING AHL AO dnouwds LINADTU V IV THE QUEEN-REGENT OF SPAIN, NEE ARCHDUCHESS OF AUSTRIA N order to thoroughly understand the extremely difficult part Queen Christina, Regent of Spain, has had to play since her husband’s death in the year 1885, it will be necessary to go back a little in Spanish history. The country, for nearly two hundred years, has suffered severely from internal struggles and changes of dynasty : in fact, ever since Philip V., the first of the Bourbon Kings, ascended the throne, in the month of May, 1700, no Spanish sovereign can be said to have enjoyed an easy rule. One of the earliest acts of the first Bourbon King of Spain was to annul the ancient Spanish law of regal succession in favour of the Salic law, which held good in France. This act has naturally caused endless disputes and quarrels, which last even up to the present day ; for the father of King Alphonso XIII. succeeded to the throne as the heir of his mother, ex-Queen Isabella II., while Don Carlos, Duke of Madrid, who is the other claimant to the throne, is descended from the male line, and is therefore considered by many Spaniards to have a greater right to the kingdom. The great-grandfather of the present King was Ferdinand VII., who was born in the year 1784, and gti 92 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe who was married four times. His first three wives were childless, and therefore his brother, Don Carlos, was looked upon as the heir to the throne. This Don Carlos was the grandfather of the present Duke of Madrid. His position was, however, by no means so secure as it seemed ; for the third wife of King Ferdinand died, and on December 11th, 1829, His Majesty made a fourth ven- ture, choosing for his Queen the Princess Marie Christina, a daughter of King Francis I. of the Two Sicilies. She was his junior by twenty-two years. The following year a daughter was born, who LATEST ean OF THE QUEEN- iS still alive, the ex-Queen ie aa Isabella II. of Spain, and some two years later a second daughter was born, the late Duchesse de Montpensier, the mother of the Comtesse de Paris. These two Princesses were destined by their marriages to set the whole of Europe in a tumult, which nearly ended in a universal war. A few months after the birth of his elder daughter, the King, acting on the advice of his Queen, put an end to the Salic law instituted by Philip V.; and as no son came to gladden his heart, it was a great comfort to him to think that the future of his child was assured. This act of the King, however, made his brother, Don Carlos, extremely angry, as he looked on it as an injustice to himself and his children. During the few years that The Queen=Regent of Spain 93 followed, it was a fight between him and Queen Christina as to which of them could influence the King most, sometimes one and sometimes the other getting the mastery over the unfortunate old man. In the year 1832 King Ferdinand yielded to his brother’s wishes and restored the Salic law, thus cutting off the succession from his daughters; but a few months later he revoked this act, and Don Carlos was banished to Portugal on account of his intrigues against the Queen and her children. On September 29th, 1833, King Ferdinand died, and his elder daughter, then three years old, succeeded to the throne, and was proclaimed Queen of Spain on October 2nd under the regency of her mother, Queen Christina. Ferdinand’s reign was one of the most disastrous known in Spanish history, as the greater part of the American posses- sions was lost to Spain under his rule, a fact that naturally did not tend to make his memory honoured by the proud Spaniards. The first Queen-Regent, Christina, had many troubles. Her brother-in- law continued active in his intrigues against her and the youthful Queen ; and as she was by no means popular, he succeeded in bringing about several revolts among the people. In 1834 and 1835 there were dangerous riots in Madrid KING ALPHONSO XII. OF SPAIN (FATHER OF THE PRESENT KING). 94 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe and Catalonia, when numerous priests were massacred by the mob, and for many years Spain was in a constant state of internal tumult. Queen Isabella, when only thirteen, was pronounced of age in 1843, and three years later was married, on October 1oth, 1846, to her cousin, Don Frangois d’ Assisi. This marriage, which had been brought about by the intrigues of her enemies, did not at all improve her position in Spain. The numerous ministries which rose and fell under her rule were all more or less corrupt, so that matters at length became so serious that Her Majesty was obliged to leave Spain and take refuge in France. This happened in the year 1868, when she abdicated in favour of her son, the late Alphonso XIL., at that time a boy eleven years of age. Then ensued an unhappy time for Spain, with a pro- visional Government, which ended with the Franco- German War of 1870-71, the collision having been accelerated by a proposal made that a Prince of Hohen- zollern should reign over Spain. Eventually Amadeo, the late Duke of Aosta, a younger brother of the King of Italy, was chosen as their King by the Spaniards ; but he was not able to maintain his sovereignty for quite two years, on account of the intrigues of the Carlist party. The second Carlist agitation lasted from 1872 to 1876, but the revolutionists failed in obtaining what they wished, and the country, longing for peace, proclaimed the son of Queen Isabella King, as Alphonso XI. He undertook the responsibility of governing the country, and the people welcomed him with joy, for they were thoroughly tired of the continual state of revolution and agitation in which they had lived for so many years. The Queen=Regent of Spain 95 Alphonso XII. married for his first wife his cousin, the Infanta Maria de las Mercedes, the daughter of the Duc de Mont- pensier. The marriage took place on January 23rd, 1878. Un- fortunately, she was extremely delicate, and died only six months after her marriage, on June 26th. In the year following the Kino, for dynastic reasons, a -OUEEW TSADEIT A. married a second time, his choice being the Arch-duchess Christina of Austria, the subject of our sketch. The marriage was celebrated at Madrid on November 29th, 1879. At the time of her son’s union the ex-Queen Isabella was living in Paris at the Palais de Castille, formerly known to the world as the Hotel Basilewsky. On her abdication she gave up a considerable portion of her private fortune to the Spanish nation—namely, those estates which belonged to her in the neighbourhood of Madrid ; but she is still very wealthy, and her great pleasure is to spend her money on her children. Her household is comparatively small, and the receptions and dinners 96 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope which she gives are on much the same scale as those given by the popular Princess Mathilde Bonaparte. Her servants and the members of her Court are devoted to her ; and as the Queen is entirely good-natured, her life moves on in pleasant lines, and she is certainly much happier than in the days when she reigned in Spain and her conduct was open to the criticism of all Europe. Her Majesty has, however, retained all her love and enthusiasm for her country, and it is very sad that her last days should be overshadowed by the misfortunes which have come with the late disastrous war with America. Queen Isabella did not at all approve of the first marriage made by her son with his cousin, the Infanta Mercedes, and she showed her displeasure very plainly ; but the second choice of her son gave her great satis- faction, and the bride made a point of visiting her mother-in-law on her way through Paris. On the occasion of her son’s second marriage Queen Isabella went to Madrid, and, greatly to the astonish- ment of those who had advised her to refrain from trying so hazardous an experiment, was received with the greatest enthusiasm, not only in the capital (where her eldest daughter, the Countess of Girgenti, gave up to her mother her apartments in the Royal Palace), but also at every station at which the Royal train stopped. The good-feeling between the ex-Queen and_ the Queen-Regent has continued, and Queen Isabella fully appreciates the courage and perseverance shown by her daughter-in-law in the fulfilment of the arduous duties of her trying position. The Archduchess Christina, who was twenty-one years of age at the time of her marriage, is the only js LATEST PORTRAIT OF’THE KING OF SPAIN, 98 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope daughter of the late Archduke Carl Ferdinand of Austria by his marriage with the widowed Archduchess Elizabeth of Austria-Este-Modena, and was born at Gross-Seelowitz on July 21st, 1858. Her Majesty has three brothers and one half-sister, the daughter of her mother by her first marriage. This sister is of especial interest to the British nation, as she is the nearest descendant of the Stuart Kings of England. She traces her line from the Duchesse Henriette d’Orléans, the youngest daughter of King Charles I., and is married to the heir to the Bavarian throne, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. By her Jacobite adherents she is styled Queen Mary III. of Great Britain and Ireland. It is a curious fact that the Archduchess Christina is nearly connected with the mother of the Carlist pretender to the throne of Spain, the Duke of Madrid, for she was the Archduchess Maria Beatrix of Austria~-Este-Modena, and the sister of the first husband of Queen Christina’s mother. A warm friendship existed between the sisters- in-law, and it is said that the Archduchess Christina had always, as a young girl, sympathised with Don Carlos in his hopes of becoming King of Spain, so that when the announcement of her engagement to Alphonso XII. was made he was extremely angry, and said many hard things about the bride-elect and her mother, It had been hoped, however, that the very fact that there was this connection between the Carlist pretender and the future Queen of Spain might bring about a peaceful solution of the question, and that at last there might be a friendship established between the King of Spain and the Duke of Madrid, and an end put to the Carlist intrigues which have troubled Spain for so long. Instead of this the friction became still greater, and The Queen=Regent of Spain 99 Don Carlos more than ever determined to upset the present state of things. It is related that he, on one occasion, said, “If I live to be a hundred years old, and the chance comes for me to become King of Spain, I will take it.” The young Archduchess had by no means an easy life before her when she accepted the hand of King Alphonso— a man whose heart was in the grave of his first wife, and whose health was already showing signs of that illness which ended his life at so early a date. The Queen, however, young as she was, quite understood her difficult position, and, from the first week of her married life, showed herself capable of fulfilling her duties, and also proved that she possessed that rarest of gifts, exquisite tact. Queen Christina has the cold dignity of the Austrian, and this perhaps has served to make her less liked than would have been the case had she had more of the fire and animation of the Spaniard. Her eldest sister-in-law, the widowed Countess of Girgenti, who is quite the most popular member of the Spanish Royal Family, has always been a most kind and sympathetic friend to her, and has helped her greatly by the sound practical advice she has given her as to how to gain the love and sympathy of the Spaniards. The Countess, who is the first-born of ex-Queen Isabella, was born at Madrid on December 20th, 1851. Her marriage with Prince Gaetan of Bourbon-Sicily was celebrated when she was only sixteen and a half. The survivors of the brilliant Court circle of Napoleon III. and the Empress Eugénie have a vivid recollection of the splendid féte given in honour of the pretty bride at the Palace of Fontainebleau on May 13th, 1868. In 100 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe the autumn of the same year the Spanish revolution caused Queen Isabella to flee to France, and it was there that the Countess of Girgenti joined her parents and brother and sisters, when, as a twenty-year-old widow, she had to seek a new home. Notwithstanding her extreme youth, the Countess, even at that time, played a considerable part in the lives of those nearest to her. She is courageous and high-spirited, and never gave up hope in her mother’s, or rather in .her brother’s, cause ; for Queen Isabella abdicated in favour of her son, Alphonso XII. ; and when the young sovereign made his triumphant progress through Spain, after he had been proclaimed King, he was accompanied by his eldest sister, who shared the triumphs of the first years of his reign. During many years of her life the Countess of Girgenti has been in the position of heiress to the Spanish throne. Till her brother’s birth she had the title of Princess of the Asturias, which is always held by the heir to the kingdom. From the day he was proclaimed King till the birth of his first child (the present Princess of the Asturias, Alphonso XIII.’s elder sister), she naturally held, in public estimation, a very important position, for a stray shot or a sudden illness might any day have made her Queen of Spain. The marriage of her brother to the Infanta Mercedes naturally greatly altered her position. For a brief period after the tragic death of the young Queen, she once more acted as mistress of the Royal Palace. With the utmost unselfishness she did all in her power to promote Alphonso’s second marriage to the Archduchess Christina of Austria, and, during the long widowhood of the Queen-Regent, she has been her most trustworthy and loyal friend. The Countess is a thorough sportswoman, The Queen=Regent of Spain 101 and is devoted to riding, hunting, and _ shooting. Thanks to her efforts, Madrid society has taken very kindly to the great hunts organised by one of the social clubs—La Venta de Ja Rubia. During the autumn her favourite amusement is stag-hunting among the beautiful hills of the Rio Frio, near the country palace of La Granja. The late war with America was particularly painful to her, for she has many American friends, and from the first she expected a disastrous issue for the Spanish troops. One reason why the Countess is so popular with the Spaniards is the fact that she is fond of the national sport of bull-fighting, and is a very frequent spectator of the sight. Her Royal Highness has done all she can to make her nephew the King interested in the sight, as she knows this is the best way of winning the sympathies of his people. No one can, however, blame His Majesty for the dislike he felt in seeing animals tortured when he was taken to his first bull-fight, and we may live to see his influence felt later in this direction. THE QUEEN-REGENT, (Taken before her marriage, after her betrothal.) 102 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe As is well known, the Spaniards are a very proud race ; and when the late Duke of Aosta was proclaimed King of Spain, the nobles of Spain were not inclined to recognise the Duchess as Queen, as she was not by birth the member of a reigning house. This was one of the reasons that made it impossible for the Duke to maintain his position as King in Spain, in spite of the fact that he was liked by the people. The fact that King Alphonso chose his second wife from the Imperial House of Austria was a great satis- faction to his nobles, and it certainly would have been impossible for him to have made a more satisfactory marriage. Ten months after the marriage of the King and Queen their first child, a daughter, was born. The baby Infanta received the names of Maria de las Mercedes, Isabella, Thérése, Christine, Alphonsine, Hyacinthe, with the title of the Princess of the Asturias. Her Royal Highness remained the only child for a little more than two years, when a second daughter was born, on November 12th, 1882. Considerable disappointment was felt that the baby was not a prince. It seemed for some years as though the two Infantas would be the only heirs of their father, but shortly before the death of the King the Queen had again hope of becoming a mother. The King’s health had for many months given cause for the most serious anxiety ; and the grief and distress of the Queen, when she heard that there was no hope of his recovery, entirely prostrated her for atime. By her charm and goodness she had completely won the heart of her husband, and the last years of their life together had been very happy, so that the blow was all the harder for both, especially coming at a time when the Queen’s health rendered her less capable of bearing The Queen=Regent of Spain 103 grief and anxiety than usual. In spite of this Her Majesty devoted herself to the King, and, by her tender care, rendered his last weeks happy and contented. For, like so miny princesses, she is a perfect nurse, with the quiet thoightfulness so necessary in a sick-room. King Alphonso, who had always been far from strong, died on November 25th, 1885, just three days after he had completed his twenty-eighth year. He had reigned for eleven years—a period of peace and comparative prosperity for the Spanish nation. The success of his government, however, was mainly due to the wise ad- ministration of his Minister, Canovas del Castillo. The Princess of the Asturias, under the regency of her mother, was proclaimed Queen in the interval that was bound to elapse before the birth of the expected child ; and her succession passed off with perfect quiet, the people being only too happy to continue in peace. It was now that the great sorrows and trials of the Queen-Regent’s life began. The death of her husband had caused her the deepest grief; her health was very delicate, and naturally her sorrow had rendered her state still more critical, and this just at a time when she had to assume the reins of government, and to attend to all the affairs of the State. With what thorough con- scientiousness she has fulfilled these duties is known to all; but no one can know how difficult the task has been, or how often Her Majesty must have been cast down and discouraged by the trials and misfortunes which have come to her and to Spain during the fourteen years that have elapsed since her husband breathed his last, and left her alone to rule the most difficult country in Europe. Great were the rejoicings in Spain when the present 104 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe sovereign was born, on May 17th, 1886. On the day of his birth he was proclaimed King under the regency of his mother, and his elder sister received her former title of Princess of the Asturias once more, as she was now only the next heir to the throne. During the A LATER PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN-REGENT, thirteen years that have elapsed since the birth of her son, the Queen has shown herself a clever regent and perfectly capable of administering the government. She has always had the Church on her side, and the fact that the Pope, Leo XIII., has a great admiration and respect for her has been an immense help to her in maintaining peace in Spain, for on more than one occasion the Spanish The Queen=Regent of Spain 105 priests have received orders not to encourage Carlist propaganda in the Spanish provinces. Pope Leo became the godfather of the little King, in whom he has always taken the greatest interest, and the Queen-Regent is one of those sovereigns to whom has been awarded the Golden Rose of Virtue by His Holiness. Though devoted to all her children, Queen Christina is especially fond of her son, Alphonsito, as she calls him, and the greatest interest and aim of her life is to render him a good and wise monarch, and to guard him against the temptations that come to every one, whatever his station in life may be. To train a king is by no means an easy task, and, with her many duties, the Queen cannot spend so much time with her children as is the case with mothers in a lower rank of life. It is, however, very wonderful how often Her Majesty contrives to have the King and his sisters with her, and their education is conducted in the most judicious manner under her personal supervision. Queen Christina, like so many other Royal personages, thoroughly understands the value of early rising, and is always fully dressed by 7 a.m. She will often go for a walk before breakfast, as after that meal she begins her State duties, which generally occupy the greater part of the morning. She is very accurate in all her work, and is quick in grasping a new suggestion and in distinguish- ing what is good in the views propounded to her. She is a good judge of character, and her discernment, on most subjects, is very reliable. Her Majesty likes to have her children with her as much as possible, and the King has been accustomed from his earliest years to be with his mother at various audiences, so that to act as a king has already become 106 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe second nature with him. He is a delicate, thoughtful- looking boy, and his early training in kingship has made him serious beyond his years, though he can be a merry, light-hearted child when he is in the country alone with his mother and sisters. His chief interest is in his soldiers, and for several years he has had his regiment of small boy-friends dressed in uniform, whom he takes a great delight in drilling. It is said that when war was declared between America and Spain King Alphonso was determined to go with his troops, and that when he heard this was impossible it was many weeks before he could be comforted. It is perhaps a misfortune that the King is fair and has the Austrian features of his mother, as the Spaniards would like to see their sovereign more like themselves and more full of life and mischief. The serious, thoughtful boy who is seen driving and riding in Madrid does not appeal so much to their sympathies as he would do were he more robust and boyish. The Queen is most judicious in the way in which she brings up her children, and even the King is subjected to strict discipline during his hours of study, Her Majesty being convinced that he can best learn to govern others by being governed himself. She is an excellent linguist, and makes a point of talking to her children in various languages, so that they may become accustomed to all. Like so many other Royal children, the King and his sisters have been partly educated by English governesses, and they all three speak English very well, with an extremely pure accent. German is also almost as familiar to them as Spanish, as it is their mother’s tongue. King Alphonso, however, did not at all approve of the German language, as he found it much more difficult The Queen=Regent of Spain 107 than either French or English. His mother, in order to encourage him, wrote a German grammar for his especial use, in which the study of that language was made at the same time both easy and amusing to the youthful monarch, for the Queen had made all the sentences that he had to learn apply to the daily occupa- tions, duties, and amusements of her little son. It is very wonderful how she can find time for such work, which requires both thought and leisure, when her multi- tudinous duties are considered. She is deeply religious, and, like all the members of the Imperial House of Austria, is heart and soul a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Her religious feelings are always strongly prominent in all her actions, and the reverence she feels and has shown for the Church has caused her to become one of the favourite sovereigns of Pope Leo XIII. Spain has always been the stronghold of the Roman Catholic faith, and Queen Christina’s fervent belief in her Church has caused her to be regarded with great favour by the heads of the Spanish Church, and has done much to render her sovereignty more secure. Had it not been for the constant intrigues of Don Carlos and his adherents, the Queen would have had a comparatively smooth path through life ; but, as it is, she has had constant anxiety, and not an hour without the dread of a revolution. Since the disastrous war with America her fears have been still greater, for the Duke of Madrid has gained much more influence with the people, who have become disaffected, and who openly say that, had they had a man instead of a Queen at the head of the kingdom, Spain would not have suffered this humiliation. 108 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope This is all most unjust ; but an angry people is always unjust, and failure is always blamed. Don Carlos has, of late, become very active; and had it not been for the influence of the Pope, the present dynasty of Spain would have been upset several months ago. The Spanish nation is discontented, and thinks that any government might be better than the one it now has, forgetting all the benefits that it has received from the Regent and the peaceful years passed under the rule of her husband. All the good that she has done is forgotten, and only the errors of her government are spoken of. It is very hard for the Queen, who has always done her duty to the best of her power, and who has given Spain peace for a longer period than has been the case for some hundreds of years. It is naturally impossible to say how things will end, but there is certainly a very strong party at present in Spain against the reigning house ; and if Pope Leo should die, there would in all probability be a revolution, which might end in placing the Duke of Madrid on the throne. There is one safeguard for the Queen-Regent and her son in the fact that Don Carlos is not popular in Spain, and moreover is married to a lady who does not belong to a reigning house, and who therefore could not be received as Queen of Spain. These facts keep many people from joining the insurgents, and it is to be hoped that the present storm will blow over and leave the Queen triumphant. Her kindness of heart is proverbial, and on more than one occasion she has personally shown womanly pity and tenderness to the lowly and suffering. Once, when driving through Madrid, an old peasant woman was upset by the Royal carriage. The Queen instantly alighted, herself went to ‘dIuagvVW LV¥Y dOV1iVd TVAOU FHL 110 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe the assistance of the old dame, whom she ordered to be placed in her carriage, and drove her to the hospital, where she waited until she learnt that the injuries were not serious. Later, the Queen gave the poor woman a substantial recompense for her sufferings. Like our own Queen, Her Majesty loves her soldiers, and her distress at the defeat of her troops in the late war can be well imagined; for not only has it been a great misfortune for Spain, but it has also rendered the position of the King much less secure. Since the con- clusion of peace between Spain and America, the Carlist agitations have become much more dangerous, and Spain is undoubtedly in a state of secret rebellion against the present form of government, and especially against the present dynasty. Don Carlos encourages this discontent, as he has adherents in all parts of the kingdom, who pour poison into the minds of the Spaniards. It is easy to talk in this way; but should it come about that the Duke really became King in the place of his young cousin, it is likely that his subjects would have frequent cause to regret the change. The Queen-Regent is very ambitious for her son, for whom she has worked so many years, and it would break her heart were he deposed. Her great hope is to see him secure on his throne when she resigns the reins of government into his young hands. It is true that, during the first years of her regency, Spain was quieter and more prosperous than had been the case for very many years. But, as has been shown, the late disastrous war has thoroughly unsettled the minds of the people, and it is to be feared that there are anxious times before Her Majesty. Before the war with America was decided against the The Queen=Regent of Spain 11 Spaniards, the Duke of Madrid had lost most of the popularity that he had formerly had in Spain; but in the time of the nation’s misfortune His Royal Highness knew how to make use of his opportunities, and has issued more than one manifesto to the people, promising many things to them and sympathising with them, but not with their Queen. As has already been stated, the fact that Don Carlos has chosen for his second wife a lady who is not of Royal birth would, with many Spaniards, be a reason why he could not become King of Spain, for, if he were proclaimed King, the Duchess of Madrid would not be considered of sufficiently lofty parentage to be acknow- ledged as Queen. The Duchess of Madrid, who is a clever, ambitious woman, is a member of the House of Rohan, and is considerably younger than her husband. She herself has no children, but the Duke has a son and four daughters by his first marriage with the late Princess Margareta of Bourbon-Parma. His son, Don Jayme, is looked upon by the Carlists as their future King. He is unmarried, and was born on June 27th, 1870. Queen Christina leads a very busy, anxious life, and is one of the hardest workers in the whole of Europe. She has now ruled over Spain for nearly fourteen years, and, during that time, has earned the respect of foreign nations as well as of her own subjects. The Queen does not often relax from her usual regal demeanour ; but when she does so, she is_ perfectly charming, with a keen sense of humour and an almost girlish delight in the pleasures of her children. Since her twenty-first year, when she married the late King Alphonso XII., her life has been spent under the most trying circumstances, and has been weighed down by the Tt2 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe responsibilities entailed by her position. Her short period of married life was rendered sad by the delicate health of her husband, and since his death her position has been both lonely and difficult. In spite of this, how- ever, she has still left to her the capability of en- joyment; and though her entire time is taken up THE PRINCESS OF THE ASTURIAS in working for her (ELDER SISTER OF THE KING OF SPAIN). aot anal one subjects, she is able to have some hours of relaxation, when she casts aside the cares of government, and brings back to the remembrance of her friends the merry young Archduchess Christina of Austria, who was the life and soul of the family circle before her marriage. It is at San Sebastian, which is on the sea-coast, and where the Queen possesses a palace of fairy-like beauty, that Her Majesty is happiest. It is there that she takes her annual holiday, and, with her children, revels in the beautiful country and the sea, away from the hot streets of Madrid, and free from the most trying of her State duties. But even in,jSan Sebastian Queen Christina leads a The Queen=Regent of Spain 113 very busy life, for she has to transact business every morning, and there is always more than enough todo. However, she has more free- dom there than elsewhere, and, with her children round her, passes the happiest of times, and gains fresh strength to continue her ar- duous life on her return to the capital. The King and his sisters are all good swimmers, and little Alphonso takes a great delight in the sea, and is encouraged by his sisters and mother to bathe as much as possible. Cycling is also a favourite amusement with him and his sisters, and many are the very merry rides taken in the neighbourhood or in the beautiful grounds that surround the palace. The Queen often sits on the strand with her work or book, and watches her son at play with his younger sister, who has always been his favourite com- panion, as she is the nearest to him in age. Sometimes Her Majesty has friends with her ; and often her mother, the widowed Archduchess Elizabeth of Austria, pays her a visit. The Archduchess is devoted to her daughter, 8 THE SECOND SISTER OF THE KING, 114 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe and has always been her most valued friend and confidante, and a wise adviser in times of difficulty. During the whole of the war with America Her Imperial Highness was with the Queen at Madrid, and proved the greatest comfort to her in that anxious time. She is now sixty-eight years of age, but she does not look nearly so old, and is in fairly good health. She is very talented, and is possessed of sound. good sense, so that she has been an excellent counsellor to her daughter on more than one occasion. There is not very much personal intercourse between ex-Queen Isabella of Spain and her daughter-in-law, as Her Majesty remains for the most part of the year in France, and the Queen-Regent is unable to leave Spain. One of the Queen’s more intimate friends is the Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia, who, with her husband and children, formerly spent a few weeks at San Sebastian every year, and arranged their visit so as to be there at the same time as the Queen-Regent. The two younger children of the Grand Duchess were the favourite com- panions both of the King and of his sisters. At one time the possible betrothal of the Princess of the Asturias to the Grand Duke Cyril Vladimirovitch, the eldest son of the Grand Duke Vladimir, was spoken of, but of late nothing more has been said on the subject. There would certainly be difficulties connected with such a marriage, on account of the different religious views of the Grand Duke and the Princess. The Princess of the. Asturias is a very pretty, graceful girl, with a charming manner and expression. She resembles her mother in many respects, and, now that she has left the schoolroom, has become the close com- panion of Her Majesty. The Infantas were brought up very strictly, and as children were always dressed very plainly, The Queen=iRegent of Spain 115 and were not allowed to wear jewels of any kind. The Princess of the Asturias is now (1899) in her twentieth year, while the Infanta Maria Thérése will be seventeen on November 12th, so that they are no longer children. Certainly the happiest hours and those most free from care since her marriage have been spent by Queen Christina at San Sebastian, so that it is no wonder that she loves the place. Her brothers often visit her there. The eldest, the Archduke Frederick, who is enormously wealthy, is married to the Princess Isabella of Croy, and, to his great disappointment, for many years had no son, but only seven daughters. However, after nineteen years of married life, a son was born, to the great delight of the Archduke and Duchess. Since that time they have lost their fourth daughter, who died in 1898 of typhus fever. The second brother of the Queen-Regent is also married, and has three sons and three daughters; while her youngest brother, the Arch- duke Eugen, who is also her favourite, has remained unmarried, and often visits his sister in Spain. The Queen-Regent has always maintained friendly relations with the Prussian Court, the German Emperor having a great admiration for her. The Kaiser can never say enough in praise of Queen Christina, and has followed her career with sympathy, and always taken a great interest in the fatherless little King, the only ruler in Europe who was born a sovereign. The sound good sense and the courage that Queen Christina has shown during her regency have won her the respect of all her fellow-sovereigns. It is to be hoped that she may have her reward for her arduous life in seeing her son firmly seated on the throne of his ancestors, and by his goodness and wisdom bringing happiness and prosperity to his people. THE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL, V THE QUEEN OF PORTUGAL, NEE PRINCESSE D’ORLEANS HE Royal Family of Portugal, like so many other Reigning Houses, belongs to the Ducal Line of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the present King, Carlos I., being the grandson of the late Prince Ferdinand of Coburg, who was married to Queen Maria II. da Gloria of Portugal in the year 1836, and who was given the title of King of Portugal the year after his marriage. When Queen Maria da Gloria died, in 1853, she was succeeded by her eldest son, Dom Pedro V., under the regency of his father, King Ferdinand, who remained at the head of the Government for a space of two years. King Pedro, who was married to the Princess Stéphanie of Hohen- zollern, died on November 11th, 1861, leaving no heir, and was therefore succeeded by his younger brother, Dom Luiz, the father of the present King. King Luiz married the youngest sister of the King of Italy, the Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, by whom he had two sons, the present King Carlos I., who was born on September 28th, 1863, and the Duke of Oporto, who was born on July 31st, 1865. There is perhaps no Royal House in Europe that has made so many successful marriages during the century as that of Coburg, the consequence being that in no 117 118 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe less than four countries the Sovereign Princes are of the Line of Coburg. The children of Her Majesty Queen Victoria are also of this House, and there is hardly a single Royal Family in the whole of Europe that is not connected or nearly related to this Ducal House. The wonderful success of the House of Coburg is all the more remarkable when it is considered that, at the commencement of the century, the family was of very small importance, with little power and small means. It is said that the Princes and Princesses of Coburg greatly owed their success in life to the fact that they were, most of them, extremely handsome, and were, gifted with good health, pleasant manners, and great adaptability of character. It will be seen from this that the present King of Portugal and his brother are nearly related to our own Royal Family, their grandfather having been a brother of the Duchess of Kent, and therefore an uncle of Her Majesty the Queen, who has always regarded her Portuguese relations with great interest. The House of Braganza, the ancient Royal House of Portugal, has already been connected by marriage with the English Royal Family, the last union having been that of King Charles II. with the Princess Catherine of Braganza, since which time the members of the English Reigning House, with the exceptions of James II. and (in our own time) the Duke of Edinburgh, have only intermarried with the scions of Protestant lines. In England the daughters of the late Comte de Paris have always been regarded with interest and affection, and, before her marriage, Queen Amalie of Portugal had often been in England, and had learnt, like her mother and sisters, to love and appreciate the joys of a country The Queen of Portugal 119 life in the British Isles. She was especially fond of Scotland, where she spent several seasons with her parents in Perthshire ; and as she is a keen sportswoman, she thoroughly enjoyed the free life, and the time she lived there remains a very pleasant recollection to her. The Comtesse de Paris and her daughters, who are accomplished horsewomen, are especially devoted to hunting. A better-mounted trio than Her Royal Highness, with her two elder daughters, the Princesses Amalie and Héléne, could not be imagined. The — Bite en eee eee ee PEPPER Peer crt REAL PALACIO D’AJUDA. Comtesse is also an excellent shot—in fact, an all-round sportswoman ; but her daughters do not care so much about shooting, and are always happiest when in the saddle. Although the children of the late Comte de Paris may be said to have had a very happy childhood, they could not, as they grew older, fail to feel with their father in his position as a dethroned Prince, and the many vicissitudes through which he went left their mark on his daughters as well as on himself and his wife. England was always their refuge in the time of misfortune, as it has been for so many unfortunate Royal persons ; and when, soon after 120 The Sovereign Ladies ot Europe their marriage, the Comte and Comtesse were first exiled, they made their home at Twickenham, It was there that many of their children were born, including the subject of our sketch ; so that she may be almost looked on as an English Princess, as the first years of her life were mostly spent in England, and her first impressions were those she obtained in this country. Then came the news that the Comte de Paris might return to France, and there was a most joyful home- coming to the Chateau d’Eu, near Tréport, where many happy years were spent, and where the three younger children were born. Here, in their beloved France, they passed a hospitable life. On the occasion of the marriage of their niece, the Princess Marie, the eldest daughter of the Duc and Duchesse de Chartres, to Prince Waldemar of Denmark, a very large gathering of Royalties assembled at Eu, including the Prince and Princess of Wales and some of their children. At that time there was no suspicion that the Comte de Paris would again be condemned to exile, for he very seldom visited Paris, and contented himself with living the. life of a country gentleman, entertaining largely and spending freely, qualities that endeared him to the peasantry. He made no attempt to move the public in his favour ; but he waited quietly, convinced that the day would come when the French would tire of a republic, and turn naturally to the descendant of Louis Philippe. It was actually the marriage of the Princess Amalie to the Crown Prince of Portugal that caused the French authorities to think that the continued residence of her parents in France was dangerous to the well-being of the Republic. The marriage was naturally celebrated at Lisbon, as the bridegroom was the heir to the throne The Queen of Portugal 121 of Portugal ; but the union gave rise to an extraordinary demonstration of enthusiasm for the Comte de Paris and his family, both in Paris and in other parts of France. An Expulsion Bill was passed, and the notification sent to Eu that the Comte and Comtesse and their children were once more exiles. The day after the law was officially made known, their Royal Highnesses took a sad leave of Eu, and left Tréport for Dover. It can be imagined how much the misfortunes of her parents saddened the first months of the married life of the young Crown Princess of Portugal, who, when the news reached her, had only been married four weeks. At the time of her betrothal to the Crown Prince of Portugal, the Princesse Amalie d’Orléans was twenty years of age, remarkably handsome, with a slight, graceful figure, and gifted with great powers of fascination, her con- versation being particularly intelligent and showing great powers of observation, while at the same time she was also extremely witty. She was one of the most charming and also one of the most beautiful Princesses in Europe, and it was small wonder that the Crown Prince fell in love with her at first sight. The Queen of England took a great interest in the betrothal of her cousin to the young French Princess, and it is said that the marriage was greatly brought about by Her Majesty’s influence, who felt a sincere friendship for the members of the French Royal Family, and who was glad to welcome the Princess as the wife of her cousin. The Princess Amalie was born at Twickenham on September 28th, 1865, and was partly educated in England. That part of her life which she spent with her parents in Spain and France served to widen her views. She was the favourite grandchild of her maternal 122 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope grandmother, the late Duchesse de Montpensier, the younger sister of the ex-Queen Isabella of Spain, who was a most talented Princess, and who had her chief residences in Spain. The Duchesse used her influence to bring about the marriage of the Princess Amalie with the Crown Prince of Por- tugal, Her Royal High- ness having been on terms of intimate friendship with his father and mother. When the Duchesse de Montpensier was ill, her granddaughter always went to nurse her, and, . during her last illness, it was Queen Amalie who waited on her and rendered her last days happy. Her Majesty has always had a great talent for nursing, and seems to know in- stinctively what it is necessary to do. Her gentle hand, voice, and movements make her invaluable in the sick- room, and with these attributes she combines great nerve and a steady hand. The marriage of the Crown Prince and Princess of Portugal took place at Lisbon on May 22nd, 1886, with great rejoicings, and Their Royal Highnesses then THE QUEEN. The Queen of Portugal 123 settled down to a comparatively quiet life in their future dominions, determined to do all in their power to benefit and improve the condition of their people. King Carlos, at the time of his marriage, was very pleasant-looking and the soul of good-nature; but then, as now, his appearance was spoilt by his tendency to grow too stout —a tendency that he is al- ways trying to overcome. The Crown Prince and Princess lived a very happy life in Portugal, diversified by visits to Eng- land and Spain. The Princess proved herself a most delightful companion ; for, as well as being amusing and active in her habits, she is also extremely well read, and takes an interest in all the serious questions of the day. Her education was such, that she is qualified, with her remarkable talents, to talk cleverly on almost every subject brought forward, and her opinions, even as a young girl, were worth consideration. With such a Princess as his wife, it may be imagined that Don Carlos led a very fortunate existence, and the time passed pleasantly, the only sorrow of the Princess being the THE KING. 124 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe banishment of her parents from the home they loved so well. In the year 1887, on March 21st, the first son of the Crown Prince and Princess was born, who now bears the title of Crown Prince of Portugal, with the additional titles of Duke of Saxony and Duke of Braganza. He was given at his baptism no less than fifteen names— to wit, Louis Philippe, Maria, Carlos, Amelio, Ferdi- nand, Victor Emmanuel, Anton, Laurentius, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Gonzaga, Xaver, Franz d’Assisi, Benedict. The joy of the Princess in her firstborn was very great; and on November 15th, 1889, her second son was born, who, as well as being a Duke of Saxony, bears the Portuguese title of Duke of Beja, and is the owner of thirteen Christian names—Manuel, Maria, Philip, Carlos, Amelio, Louis, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Gonzaga, Xaver, Franz d’Assisi, Eugéne. Both Princes are fine, healthy children, and are naturally a great source of happiness to their parents. In the year 1889, on October 1gth, King Luiz died, and the present King ascended the throne, since which time his life has been spent in the service of his people and in endeavouring to raise the financial position of Portugal, the country having grown steadily poorer. His Majesty has a most loyal helper in Queen Amalie, who economises in every possible way, and who devotes her energies to improving the present position of the country. An immense amount has been done of late years to render the lives of the inhabitants of the kingdom more prosperous, and in every good work the Queen is the leading spirit. She is one of the most talented Princesses, gifted with wonderful energy and endurance, and with a capacity for work possessed by but few men. THE KING OF PORTUGAL. 126 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Subjects to which she has devoted a great deal of attention, and in which she has always taken an interest, are the science of nursing and the study of medicine. Not only has she studied nursing theoretically, but she has also put her knowledge to practical proof, and both during the last fatal illness of the late Duchesse de Montpensier and in the illnesses of other relations the Queen has come forward and has shown herself a skilled and trustworthy nurse. Her Majesty has a great vocation for this art. She never loses her head, and takes an affectionate interest in her patient and a scientific view with regard to the progress of the malady. Since her marriage her studies have been many and varied, one of her greatest interests having been the endeavour to improve the hospitals of Portugal, which are very primitive in their arrangements. She has also founded nursing establishments for the poor, but in many cases Her Majesty has had to contend with great difficulties, and opposition has even been made by those who were to benefit from these institutions. Many are the anecdotes that are related of her charit- able acts and the help she has given to the suffering poor ; for she has no fear of infection, and shirks no unpleasant sight or risk, if she thinks that she can be of help to the sick. At her own expense she maintains a dispensary and hospital for the sick children of the lower classes, in which place they are not only treated and receive the necessary medicine, but are also given the nourishing food which is so essential for their complete recovery. Her Majesty, when at home, pays a daily visit to this dispensary ; and when her time allows of it, she will remain for several hours at the institution, when she personally waits on the little patients, and feeds them The Queen of Portugal 127 and soothes them with kind words if they are fretful or in pain. It is a noble work, and Queen Amalie finds her reward in the loving gratitude of the children and the devotion of their parents. This institution, which is excellently well managed, has been of the greatest benefit to the people, and is the first of its kind that has been established in Portugal. The Queen does not, however, confine her attention to her own especial charity. She takes the greatest interest in all the charitable institutions of the country, and especially in the nursing sisterhoods and the hospitals. It was on this account that she studied medical works, in order to be better able to understand the management of such places. Her Majesty makes a point of visiting the hospitals and sisterhoods in the less well-known parts of her country, and has found a great deal that was in urgent need of reform. Naturally, these improvements cannot be accomplished at once, and many years of patient work will be necessary before she has realised her hope of knowing that her husband’s subjects, when ill, will be able to have careful nursing and medical help. It is a very arduous task that she has undertaken, and both patience and great talents for organisation are necessary to be abie to carry out all that is wished. The Queen is gifted with perseverance and a judicious mind, so that she sees clearly where it is necessary to make alterations and where it is possible to leave matters as they are. Her partial English education has given her many excellent ideas for the further development of the Portuguese, and she is especially anxious that the Portuguese hospitals should be worked as much as possible on the same lines as those in England. 128 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope The Queen, who has very practical ideas on life, and especially sensible views about her own sex, is a great enemy to tight-lacing, and has always preached to the ladies of her Court against this evil habit. Her Majesty was delighted when the Rontgen rays were discovered, and she was one of the first to apply the discovery to a useful purpose. She photographed, with the aid of the rays, a tight-laced lady, and was then able to triumphantly prove how pernicious the habit is, and to show the deformity caused by the undue pressure on the internal organs of the female body. Naturally all kinds of stories were told, it being even said that the Queen had every lady in her Court photographed in this manner. Her Majesty’s influence has certainly had a good effect. ‘Tight-lacing in Portugal is on the decrease, and it is no longer thought to be the correct thing to do it, as was formerly the case. In her home life she shows herself a most devoted wife and mother, wise and loving in the way in which she brings up her sons, and with an earnest desire to make them great and noble men, and fitted for their position. The Crown Prince is now (1899) in his thirteenth year, and therefore beyond childhood. His Royal Highness is very forward in his studies, and is said to have inherited the talents of his mother. The Duke of Beja, who is two years and a half younger than his brother, is also very clever, and is a great favourite with his attendants. The sons of such a mother could scarcely fail to be talented. The Queen sees a great deal of her mother and younger sisters and brother during the winter, as Villamanrique, the residence of the Comtesse de Paris, is within com- paratively easy distance of Lisbon ; but she rarely pays “SHdVGISSADIN SVG IvaU OloVvIVd 130 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope visits otherwise, as she finds her time completely taken up at home. The Comtesse de Paris has still two un- married daughters, the Princesses Isabella and Louise ; and her youngest son, the Duc de Montpensier, who is in his fifteenth year, is also still at home. The Duke and Duchess of Orleans pay frequent visits to the Portu- guese Court, and are always welcomed with great pleasure, the Duchess being a favourite with all her husband’s relations. Queen Amalie is’a most loyal sister to her eldest brother, and most ardent in her wish to see him ruler over the dominions of his ancestors, it being one of the greatest ambitions of her life to see her line restored to the French throne. Her Majesty is very popular with the French, and when she was last in France received quite an ovation in Paris. Indeed, every Royalist who was able came to wait on hef. It has often been said that, if she had been the heiress to the throne, the French Republic would long ago have been a thing of the past, and that the line of Orleans would have been firmly seated on the throne for many years. The near vicinity of Portugal to France makes it possible for the Queen to do a great deal to help on her brother’s cause, as it is easy, when necessary, to arrange meetings and discuss matters with the French Royalists. The Duchess of Orleans has found a very true friend in the Queen, and the King also is always pleased to welcome her to Lisbon. The marriage of the Princess Héléne of Orleans to the Duke of Aosta was a source of great satisfaction to the King and Queen, the Duke being a first cousin of His Majesty and a favourite with both him and the Queen. ‘The sisters have, however, seen comparatively little of each other since the marriage, The Queen of Portugal 131 their duties preventing a frequent interchange of visits. The birth of the son of the Duchess was a satisfaction to all the members of her family, as well as to the Italian Royal Family, and Queen Amalie rejoiced especially in her sister’s happiness. The Queen-Dowager of Portugal, who is a sister of the King of Italy, is still comparatively young, and is THE QUEEN-DOWAGER, NEE PRINCESS OF ITALY. a keen sportswoman. One of her favourite amusements, when at her beautiful castle on the coast, is to shoot at glass bottles in the sea, and very rarely does she miss her aim. Her Majesty is highly accomplished, musical, and also a good artist; for her love of shooting does not cause her to neglect art. She is also famous for her exquisite taste in dress ; and now that her hair is white, she has become very handsome. Her conversation 1s 132 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe both witty and clever, and she is very much loved by her attendants. The Court circle at Lisbon is now very small, as, except the King, the Queen, and their two sons, the only other members of the Royal Family living there are the Queen-Dowager and the King’s brother, the Duke of Oporto, who is unmarried. The King has one aunt, the Princess of Hohenzollern, but she naturally does not live at Lisbon. The absence of any young Princesses renders the Court festivities more monotonous than is the case when numerous balls are given for the daughters of the Royal House ; but, none the less, life at the Portuguese capital is very pleasant, and those who have had the privilege of meeting the members of the Reigning House are all charmed with the kindly reception accorded them. Some thirty years ago there was a very large Royal circle at Lisbon, for the father of the present King was one of seven brothers and sisters, all of whom, however, are now dead, except the Princess of Hohenzollern. Portugal, which in the sixteenth century was reckoned one of the most powerful monarchies in Europe, Lisbon being then the great centre for the distribution of the products of the East, is now, in some respects, much more behind the times than many of the other countries of Europe. It has had continued misfortunes, and has become poorer as years have gone on. ‘The National Debt is rapidly increasing, and the financial condition of the country has become very serious. The late King Luiz laboured steadily at measures for internal improvement, and the present King does the same ; but the work is very difficult, and the Royal power has been growing continually weaker since the beginning of the century. Tt will be seen from this how difficult the work of The Queen of Portugal 133 the Queen is, and she has found that her entire time is necessary to carry out the schemes she has instituted for the improvement of the lives of her people and their prosperity. She has found an ample scope for the exercise of her talents, and every one hopes that her noble efforts will bear good fruit, and that, when her son becomes King, his lines will be cast in easier paths than those of his parents. The splendid energy of the Queen has had an excellent effect on the somewhat indolent character of her people, and she has shown them what it is possible to accomplish with perseverance and good-will. Her Majesty is very fond of animals, and is anxious to prevent all unneces- sary suffer- ing and cruelty in the animal world, and her efforts in this direction have met with con- siderable suc- cess. During her married life she has never ceased to work for ideal objects, and has de- THE KING AND QUEEN WITH THEIR ELDER SON, IN 1887. voted her 134 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe spare hours to the study of scientific subjects. The Queen has great strength of character, energy, an immense power for work, and, above all, a keen knowledge of human nature—all traits which constitute a great ruler. Her firm disposition is of the greatest service to the country in which destiny has placed her, and King Carlos could not have found a wife more fitted to help him in his difficult position, nor could any other Princess have accomplished more than she has done during the ten years that she has been Queen. The King and Queen of Portugal are the only sovereigns in Europe, except the Grand Duke and Duchess of Hesse, who have their birthday on the same day of the month. King Carlos was born on September 28th, 1863, and Queen Amalie on September 28th, 1865, so that there is a difference of exactly two years in their, ages. He, however, looks considerably older than she, as he has of late years grown very stout. The Queen has studied many medical works, in order, it is said, to find a remedy for her husband’s increasing size, and it has been reported that Her Majesty has been successful in her researches. There is a friendly intercourse between the Courts of Lisbon and Madrid, the Queen of Portugal being a near relation of the little King, whose grandmother, the ex- Queen Isabella of Spain, is the great-aunt of Queen Amalie. The King’s youngest aunt, moreover, the Infanta Eulalie, is married to the uncle of Queen Amalie, Don Antonio, Duc de Montpensier: and the two countries being so close, it is possible to interchange frequent visits. During the late war between Spain and America, Queen Amalie showed great sympathy for the Queen-Regent Christina, though it was naturally impossible for Portugal to take The Queen of Portugal 135 any part with her neighbour. The Queen of Portugal numbers cycling amongst her many accomplish- ments, and is most devoted to this form of exercise, which she considers very beneficial to her health. Her Majesty, who is a very graceful and energetic rider, wears a short tailor- made skirt (gene- rally of a dark shade of colour), in winter with a coat, and when the weather is hot with a pretty blouse. She is famed for her perfect taste in dress, she and her mother-in-law being considered two of the most perfectly gowned Princesses in Europe. Few European sovereigns possess more beautiful residences than the King and Queen of Portugal, and everything in Lisbon shows the magnificence of former days. The palaces are splendid in their construction and in the size and decorations of the rooms, and the art- treasures in the Royal castles are both wonderful and valuable. THE QUEEN, 136 The Sovereign Dadies of Lurope There is no more beautiful city in Europe than Lisbon, standing as it does on the northern shore of the Tagus at the shoulder of the bay—an expansion of the river—and nine miles from its mouth. The city extends for about five miles along the shore, and climbs up the slopes of a low range of hills—a site that is one of the most beautiful in all Europe. The oldest part of the town is situated at the east, and is the part that escaped the fearful earth- quake of 1755; it lies round the Citadel, consists of narrow streets, and is still known by its Moorish name of Alfama. The western parts of the town, which were built after the catastrophe of 1755, consist of wide thoroughfares, with large houses and some handsome squares. The finest building in the town is the Monastery and Church of Belem, a monument to the great seamen of Portugal, which was begun in 1500 on the spot from which Vasco da Gama embarked on his momentous voyage in the year 1497, and which is mostly built in the Gothic style. Inside the church are the tombs of Vasco da Gama, Camoens, and Catherine, the wife of King Charles II. of England. Lisbon has been, on the whole, a very unfortunate city. It has been three times taken by the Moors, and has suffered from numerous earthquakes, the last and greatest, of 1755, having almost demolished the town and killed between thirty and forty thousand persons. In 1348 the plague destroyed most of the inhabitants ; and the latest misfortunes of the ‘city were the military revolts during the second quarter of the nineteenth century, especially in 1831, and a visitation by the yellow fever in 1859. The Royal palaces of Cintra and Mafra, which are The Queen of Portugal 137 within easy distance of Lisbon, are charming in their beauty and in their delightful situation; and in most parts of the country there are similar palaces, which are the property of the Crown. In all parts of Portugal there are signs to be seen of the former enormous wealth and importance of the country, and many residences contain art-treasures of fabulous worth, brought by the merchants and travellers THE TWO SONS OF THE KING AND QUEEN, THE CROWN PRINCE LOUIS PHILIPPE AND PRINCE MANUEL, DUKE OF BEJA. of a former age from foreign lands—treasures that are now unique and no longer possible to obtain. Since the late King Luiz succeeded his brother, King Pedro, Portugal has had a chance of regaining her former prosperity ; for everything possible has been done by her rulers, and each year fresh efforts are being made to reduce the National Debt and make the kingdom able to hold its own. The present King and Queen, as has been shown, devote all their energies to trying to render their subjects happy 138 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe and to helping them to become prosperous once more ; but it is a difficult task to raise a country that has had its day, and, like Spain, Portugal is no longer one of the greatest Powers in Europe, though it might seem that there are happier days in store for it in the future. Since her marriage the whole energies of Queen Amalie have been directed towards improving the condition of her people ; and though the work goes on slowly, it is certain that great improvements can already be remarked. Her Majesty is confident that only perseverance and untiring energy are necessary to bring back to her country the standard of former times. THE QUEEN OF ITALY. VI QUEEN MARGHERITA OF ITALY, NEE PRINCESS OF SAVOY HE Quirinal Palace stretches its noble length upon the summit of the Monte Cavallo, and its old Papal associations have made the Queen—who, it is said, is a good Catholic—yield with pain and reluctance to the stress of national politics which made the Quirinal the Palazzo Reale. Within the stately Renaissance entrance-arch a great courtyard extends. If you want to reach the grand suite of the King’s apartments, which are shown to the public, Casa di S. M. il Re, you must mount a vast staircase at the right-hand extremity. If you are going to the private apartments of the Queen, which have never been photographed, you are set down at the Grand Entrance en face, from which a short cut—one of those wondrous circling stairways, of extreme breadth and shallowness, which old Roman architectural skill makes it a pleasure to climb—leads to the great private corridor. To me half the beauty of this style of architecture lies in the ceilings and friezes, which unite roof and wall so ingeniously, and bring gold and painting, high reliefs and flat surfaces, richly carved marbles, freschi, and dainty needlework, into a bewildering but perfectly harmonious whole. The Quirinal gives the art-student superb examples of perfect colour, design, and, what is still more I4L 142 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope rare and subtle, proportion—the Sala degli Svizzeri being an example. This is one of the King’s suite of rooms, chiefly used for official purposes. You pass through it on the way to the throne-room and the ball-room. The former is Raphaelesque ; the latter, with its vast mirrors and dome, is Louis Quinze. There are numerous magnificent saloons, hung with heavy silks, in vivid and contrasting colours—green, purple, opaline, streaked, ring- straked—one a rather painful blue. One contains a good picture by Giulio Romano; another is a very unflattering portrait of the Queen by De Cricheto. A third is veneered in plain red marble. The throne- room is crimson. There is a good deal of gilding and carving, even the cornices containing life-size cupids and all the strange monsters of Raphael’s fertile fancy ; whilst the chairs and sofas, as in most Royal palaces, ring the changes on Louis XIV., XV., and XVI., with carpets woven to correspond with the delicate Gobelin tapestries on the walls. “A city set on a hill cannot be hid.” And when, years ago, it was announced that Humbert, then heir- apparent to the throne of Italy, and eldest son of King Victor Emmanuel, was to marry his beautiful cousin, Marguerite of Savoy, that kind of sympathetic thrill of rejoicing ran throughout Italy which salutes a marriage for love (a thing too seldom, alas!) in Royal circles. Although the Princess Marguerite had been brought up in great seclusion by her mother (the widowed Duchess of Savoy, a sister of the present King of Saxony), her beauty was already known to the Italians, and no marriage could have been more popular with the nation. From the time of her betrothal she emerged freely, and came amongst the people on all occasions. | Wherever she: THE THRONE-ROOM. 144 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope went, her gracious presence, her exquisite charm of manner, her entire absence of affectation, and, above all, her quick and gentle sympathies, won all hearts and excited the enthusiasm of a nation that, in the space of her own girlhood, had become united. Not the generic goodness of queenhood, but the particular goodness and beneficence (especially to her own sex) of the Queen of Italy had long held my heart in a sort of worship, as it holds many women’s hearts in England. In 1895, being in Rome about Easter, I greatly desired to see this celebrated Queen; but she had left the city, and no chance remained for that year. Later, however, I found myself again at Rome, where— because it is eternal, I suppose—time makes but little impression, least of all on the Queen and on the worship of her person. When I received an intimation through our courteous and kind British Ambassador, Sir Clare Ford, that the Queen would be graciously pleased to receive me at the Quirinal on the morrow, I felt the dawn of a red-letter day. For years the women of Italy have owed to the Queen the improvement in their position, education, and trade. Under her literature has arisen, and women have been able to come forward to help themselves and to help others by words and works, because she has helped them. It is Her Majesty who has found a new field for women’s labour, and women’s safety is complete throughout all Italy. She has revived the lovely art of lace-making, once lost—the point and pillow stitches of fairy skill ; has restored the embroidery trade in all its delicate branches ; has founded asylums for poor little waifs and strays ; has rescued and housed thousands of ill-treated babes and old women ; and has discouraged the inveterate begging. Queen Margherita of Ftaly 145 She personally visits the innumerable infant asylums and hospitals in which she is interested, helps the nurses, and washes and binds up with her own Royal hands, saying, “T wish to doit.” She is at the head of the splendid Scuola Professionale Margherita di Savoia (which I visited by the courtesy of the able and accomplished Direttrice, Madame Amalia Prandi Ribighini), where eight hundred girls are taught every womanly handi- craft under the sun, and given a livelihood which is both a protection and a dowry. This school began with eight pupils. Her sympathy has borne fruit in the activities of such indefatigable and charming philanthropists as the Contessa Pasolini, who has herself founded a large school of lace-makers on her : % \ AY own estates—a school, by- ees ae the-bye, where orders for exquisite lace, and also for all sorts of antique stitchery, will be gladly executed, and, as it appeared to me, at very reasonable rates. Yes, the Queen of Italy is an example and a pattern, not only to the noble women of her own land, but to all women in all lands. Endless are the stories of her love for children. Once a small baby, the child of poor parents, smiled and held out its arms to her. She stopped her carriage, embraced it, and did not forget the little thing. Later, when passing it, she would always kiss her hand. 10 146 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe There is an amusing story told of the beautiful five- year-old son of a well-known physician. He was playing the part of the page in the Sleeping Beauty, which piece had been got up at one of the palazzi. Un- prompted, and engrossed by his part, the child, when he passed the Queen, knelt on one knee, and raised his wee fist for the Queen to lay her hand on to be kissed. Her Majesty, accustomed to the ceremony, extended her Royal hand, and then, laughing, caught him up in her arms and kissed him repeatedly. All the great ladies wished to follow suit ; but with the quaint tact sometimes shown by children, the little fellow would permit no kisses after the Queen’s. The Royal private apartments are extremely beautiful, and decorated much like the more public ones—that is, chiefly in the old French style, hung with silk and furnished with buhl, marqueterie, and golden carvings. The primrose-coloured Sala degli Specchi, and that called degh Arazzi (sometimes used for small diplomatic dinners), would give a good general idea of them, if more furniture and daintier curiosities were in them. The walls of the first ante-room opening from the corridor are of sky-blue satin, with Louis Seize shepherdesses woven in. The ceiling is domed and painted. Portraits of former Royal ladies of Italy abound—among them a very fine one, perhaps a Velasquez. The lady that it represents carries a quaint long gun or carabine in quite a modern and sportive fashion, and has red ribbons in her hair. A great golden frame of historic miniatures takes up one corner. The next room shown is in amber tint, the panels formed in striped and waved brocade, with Louis Quinze furniture. Flowers are to be seen on all sides, and the *IMaZZIAS INIA VIVS FHL 148 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe windows have a view on to a beautiful garden of ilex and palm groves. Here the Marchese Guiccioli presented us to Her Majesty’s present lady-in-waiting, the Duchess Massimo Rignano, who speaks English with a perfect accent. On the previous day an attempt had been made to stab King Humbert whilst driving on the Pincian—an attempt which, it is said, was foretold the preceding March by the astrologers. All Rome was aroused by this dastardly crime, and a perfect passion of loyalty centred round the Royal Family. ‘““Tt was,” said the Duchess to me, “such a shameful, such a disgraceful outrage. The Queen is so good; no one knows what she is—how warm-hearted, how generous. The King is so devoted to his people, and works so hard for and with them.” Certainly no one can forget what he did in the cholera time, toiling in the hospitals, his garments so soiled that he had to change them five times a day. No one does that, unless for the love of his patients and from the strongest sense of duty. His Majesty entirely forgot himself in those terrible times, and only thought of his suffering people and of the best way in which he could help, them. The would-be assassin was not mad, but was one of those fanatics who wish to upset all monarchies. There are many of these misguided people who belong to the Italian nation, and it was supposed that he was a member of one of the numerous secret societies. The Queen was fortunately not with the King at the time of the attempt on his life, but he later told her about it himself, saying coolly, ‘“‘ This was the most nearly fatal of all the attempts that have been made upon my life.” ALY. N OF 17 QUEE THE * 150 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope The Queen’s private apartments in the Quirinal mirror the tastes of a refined and home-loving woman. Whilst we waited Her Majesty’s leisure, we admired the soft curves, the delicate old bureaux, the dainty flowers. The Duchess drew our attention to one mighty tree-azalea, standing between the windows, on which grew blossoms of three colours, pink, white, and streaked—a freak of nature. Presently the Queen was ready to receive us. The Duchess went to the door of the inmost apartment to announce us, and left us alone with the beautiful sovereign, of whose portraits not one does her any sort of justice. She was sitting on a small sofa of pale-coloured satin, beside which stood a roomy escritoire and some beautiful flowers. A screen of diamond-graven glass of the olden time sparkled like dew, and softened the glare of the Roman sunshine. Her Majesty was quite a picture in her toilette of pale grey satin, with a vest of pink velvet, and rows of huge pearls, as large as hazel-nuts, hanging from her neck to her waist. They originated in the pretty play upon her name, which the Romans love, and make her doubly Margherita and doubly ‘Queen of Pearls.” Her photographs make her look dark, but in reality she is a delicate blonde, with a fresh natural complexion, delicate features, a most beautiful nose and mouth, cut like a cameo, and a bearing which is perfect in its grace and dignity. Her manner also is full of charm, and she has a most happy way of setting her visitors very quickly at their ease, so that in the interest that is felt in the Queen’s personality all fear is lost of her position as a Queen. I ceased to observe details in the charm aud simplicity of her manner, which are quite indefinable and indescribable, Queen Margherita of Ftaly I5t and which put me perfectly at ease. All I was aware of was the presence of one of the most beautiful and intellectual women I had ever met. She has a quick way of speaking, whether English or Italian, which evidences a mind brimming over with ideas, and with the most graceful readiness of expression. It is said of Her Majesty that a subject is never broached to which she is not sure to contribute some bright and vivid thought. She is certainly widely read, and the best thinkers and talkers find that they have to talk their best to her. Seated on the sofa to which she motioned me, I forgot that Royalty is omniscient and infallible ; that information must never be volunteered ; that no sort of correction is permissible. I became oblivious of all the instructions common in England—how one must wait until one is spoken to, and never attempt to lead the conversa- tion. All these useful rules do not seem to apply to the fascinating Italian Sovereign ; and although the Italian Court 1s said to be extremely punctilious, the Queen, in her personal intercourse with those whom she chooses to see, is quite free from anything which can check the pleasure of a real exchange of ideas. She seems eager for all knowledge, great as her own is; and her speech “and replies are extremely ready, and show the rapidity of her thoughts. The Queen spoke of books and music, and of the English Church and its formularies, more than once deferring with a gracious “I ask because you must know these things so much better than J.” Speaking of popular and scholastic music, which Her Majesty presently did with a great deal of real intuition, she| compared various composers whom she had heard 152 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe and not heard. She had never, oddly enough, heard Liszt play, though he had lived for so many years in the Villa d’Este in Rome, and she asked about his style and manner. Her Majesty said she had heard both Rubinstein and Paderewski, and preferred the latter ; for ‘‘ Rubinstein made such a noise, and always seemed as if he were breaking the hammers and strings.” “ But,” I said, ‘all the modern school do that at times, even Paderewski.” “¢ Well,” said the Queen, “I daresay Paderewski does it too ; but he does not seem to do so, and it is not so painful. He has a touch of velvet.” Her Majesty’s remark struck me as a felicitousone. It exactly hit the distinction between force and extravagance (which many distinguished artistes now confound), and I surmised wherefore Her Musical Majesty had never heard Liszt. The Queen said a few kind words of Sgambati, the eminent composer, who arranges, week by week, her private concerts. The rest of the conversation turned rather upon matters antiquarian and artistic, until Her Majesty, who had made no direct sign for the termination of our interview, made the first faint pause, which warned us to rise and curtsey low. She gave us each a jewelled hand; and having with a sweet smile returned our orthodox obeisances, we retired—retired with the sense of having enjoyed a conversation full of cordial kindness, bright sayings, and real thoughts. That pleasure and honour had been ours for nearly half an hour, during which we had been alone with this Royal and gifted lady, to whom kindness and sympathy come so naturally that they are as the air she breathes. By the members of her Court and by her relations the THE PRINCE OF NAPLES, 154 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Queen is greatly loved, and by those who are honoured with her friendship she is simply adored. The late Emperor Frederick was on intimate terms with King Humbert, and the Queen and the Empress Frederick have continued the intimacy. Queen Margherita is the godmother of the youngest daughter of the Empress, who bears her name, and who is now married to Prince Friedrich Carl of Hesse-Cassel. On her marriage she received from Italy a most magnificent pearl necklace of perfect beauty. Numerous are the pretty anecdotes told of Italy’s Queen, and all of them represent her doing some gracious womanly act and using her influence for good. That with all her sweetness she is a brave and percipient ruler of the Court, every one knows well. Persons, however elevated their position may be, whom she does not wish to see cannot thrust themselves upon her. If any one, however privileged, oversteps the right and correct bounds (a recent occurrence will be remembered), the Queen’s quiet “I do not appear” is socially as fatal as Alice in Wonderland’s ‘Off with their heads!” The Court circle is therefore indubitably the Queen’s own circle, and its purifying influence is as strong as that of our own under our beloved Queen’s gentle sway. The Queen spent an extremely quiet girlhood, and until her betrothal to the heir to the Italian throne (her cousin) she had been but little seen in public, though the fame of her beauty had already reached the ears of most people. The mother of Her Majesty, who is a sister of the King of Saxony, was left a widow when only twenty- five years of age, and later on made a morganatic marriage with the Marchese Rapallo, who died in the year 1882. The Queen has an only brother, the Duke of Genoa, Queen Margherita of Ftaly 155 who is three years younger than she, and who is married to the Princess Isabella of Bavaria. He is the father of two sons and a daughter, this daughter being the only Princess of her generation of the Italian Royal House. In consequence she is made a great deal of, and has been given the title of Royal Highness, which was bestowed on her three days after her birth on August 3rd, 1896. Strangely enough, there had been no Princess born for more than fifty years in the Italian Royal Family when the little Princess of Savoy made her appearance. The only other living Princesses of the Royal House were the two sisters of the King—the Princess Clothilde Bonaparte, and the Queen-Dowager of Portugal. The late Duke of Aosta had only sons by both his first and second marriages, and the only child of the King and Queen is the Crown Prince. The first-born of the present Duke and Duchess of Aosta is also a Prince. It was in her girlhood that the Queen became so passionately fond of mountaineering, and her greatest pleasure is to make long mountain excursions, clad in a pretty peasant costume of the district, the short skirt being the most practical for climbing. Her Majesty is a true mountaineer, and finds climbing has a most exhilarating and beneficial effect on her health. The mountain scenery also adds to the charm of her excursions, for she takes an intense pleasure in the beauties of nature : the wildness of the hills appeals to her keen artistic_sense and also to her love of freedom—tastes that are_her strongest characteristics. Her pretty costume is very becoming to Her Majesty ; and though of finer materials than used by the peasants, it is made 1n the same manner as that worn by the women of the district. These days spent in the midst of her beloved mountains are amongst 156 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope the happiest and most enjoyable of her life. She is always attended by those of her people who share her tastes and who are able to bear the strain of a long day’s tramp over the stony and often difficult roads that are the favourite excursions of the Queen. Between herself and her beautiful young daughter-in- law there is a most happy intercourse. From the first day she saw her, Queen Margherita took the young Princess of Montenegro to her heart, and has ever since been the kindest and most tender of mothers to her. It was a great joy to the King and Queen to see their son happily married, for he had waited for a long time, and had shown himself very fastidious about his choice of a wife, so that many people thought that he had decided to remain a bachelor always. The first time he met the beautiful mountain Princess his heart was lost, and the wooing was not a long affair. The Crown Princess of Italy has found a most happy home in the country of her adoption, and her devotion to her husband and to his parents is very pretty to see. Like the Queen, she is always charmingly dressed, and has made many friends since she first came a bride to Italy in the year 1896. She has a most unselfish, loving nature, and, happy as she is, does not forget her own people, her letters to her former home being very frequent. The other youthful married Princess at the Court of Italy is the Duchess of Aosta, née Princess. of Orleans, who has quite recently given her husband an heir. The Duchess is so well known in England that I need only describe her briefly. She is a keen sportswoman, and is a most devoted mother to her little son, whose birth was welcomed with the greatest enthusiasm by the Italians and the members of the Royal Family. SALA DEGLI SPECCHI, THE 158 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The Dowager-Duchess of Aosta, vée Princess Bonaparte, also lives in Italy, andis very popular. She is still young, and one of her greatest pleasures is cycling, which recreation, when Her Imperial Highness began to practise it, caused King Humbert considerable annoyance, as she was one of the first ladies, if not the first, in Italy to adopt it. Now, however, His Majesty has quite changed his mind about cycling, and even the Queen herself is a most ardent votary of the sport, her example having been followed by the Crown Princess and most of the ladies of her Court. She generally rides in the private roads of her parks ; but on one occasion it is said that she ventured out on the public thoroughfares (this was shortly after she had learnt to ride), and when she wished to re-enter her domains at another gate the sentinel who was on duty refused to let her pass. It was some time before he could be brought to understand that he was barring the way to his Sovereign. The Queen finds that cycling suits her very well. The exercise is most beneficial to her health, so that she rides on most days when she is in the country. When in Rome, she drives out every day, generally in a landau, and wherever she goes is most warmly greeted. She will often have the Crown Princess with her, when Her Royal Highness happens to be in Rome. The King and the Crown Prince are not frequently to be seen in public, as they live a much more retired life than most Royal personages. The fact that the King and the Queen and the members of their Court were present last spring at the opening of the International Press Congress in Rome caused surprise as well as great pleasure. Both the King and the Crown Prince were in the garb of the civilian, and wore the regulation frock-coat. They were most pleasant in the manner in which they conversed with +. 5 See. 5 (ie. f THE SALA DEGLI ARAZZI, 160 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe those assembled, the language in which they spoke being generally French. The Queen spoke to the Germans present in the purest German, she naturally having learnt that tongue since her babyhood from her mother, who is a Saxon Princess. As the Court was at that time in mourning, Her Majesty was in black, which suited her beautiful com- plexion and hair very well. Her gown was of velvet, richly trimmed with fur and lace, and round her neck she wore some of her famous pearls. The wonderful fascination of her manner was very observable. Each person present was anxious to be distinguished by a gracious word, not merely because she is a Queen, but on account of the goodness and kindness of her manner, which made every one who was favoured with her notice feel as if he had been especially honoured. Her unique collection of pearls, of which mention has already been made, she values, not only on account of their rare beauty, but because they have been given her by the King. The first splendid row was given her when her son was born, and each year since then, on the birthday of the Prince of Naples, the King has added a new string of wondrous size to her collection, which is now one of the most beautiful and valuable in Europe. The Queen is rarely, if ever, seen without these jewels, which seem so fitting an ornament to her, and so right a symbol of the purity and beauty of her character. Her manner of wearing her favourite ornaments has been followed by. many of her sister-Princesses, so that almost all the Royal ladies of Europe are now in possession of pearls, though few can equal those of the Queen of Italy. The King and Queen take great interest in the expedition of the Duke of Abruzzia to the North Pole, Queen’ Margherita of Ftaly 161 but they will be most relieved when their nephew returns home safely. Her Majesty has always been a most kind friend to the King’s nephews ; and the Duke’s wish to undertake this voyage of discovery, though sympathised with by Their Majesties, naturally causes them great anxiety. They are, however, too wise to prevent the Duke doing useful work in the world ; and as he has a perfect passion for travelling, and is strong and healthy, it is hoped that the hardships that he must undergo will do him no real harm. King Humbert has undertaken a considerable part of the expenses of the expedition. The Princess Clothilde Bonaparte has her home in Italy. She is a member of the Royal Family, being the elder sister of the King, and is the mother of the Bonaparte pretender to the throne of France. Her only daughter is the Dowager-Duchess of Aosta, who lives at Moncalieri whilst she resides at Turin. Her Imperial Highness, who is in her fifty-sixth year, was married to Prince Napoleon Bonaparte on January 30th, 1859, who died on March 18th, 1891. It will be seen that, compared with many Royal families in Europe, that of Italy is comparatively small, and until the birth of the son of the Duke and Duchess of Aosta there was no heir to the throne in the third generation. The Duchess may be said to have a private circle of her own, and since her son’s birth she has become much more popular in Italy. To her, as a devout Catholic, the continued unfriendly feeling shown by the Pope to the members of the Royal Family has naturally been a source of great sorrow, and it is said that she has always, since her marriage, hoped to bring about a better feeling between the Vatican and the Quirinal. So far, however, there has been no change in the aspect of affairs ; and Her Il 162 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope Royal Highness, now that she has a ‘son, is all the more anxious to effect a reconciliation. The two favourite subjects of conversation with the Queen are literature and art, and on both she discourses in a pleasant and a clever manner. To music Her Majesty is devoted heart and soul, and it has always been her endeavour to raise the public taste in this direction in Rome. She attends almost all the great concerts, and does all in her power to support the art. Not only does she encourage the great musicians, but she is also ready to give a helping hand to many who are unknown to fame; and often a young musician is allowed to play before Her Majesty in her palace, when she will kindly criticise his performance—for the Queen is herself a skilful musician, and well able to criticise those she hears in a manner that might be copied with benefit by professional critics. When a famous singer comes to Rome, the Queen spends almost every evening in her box, sometimes only a short half-hour on her way to or from some State entertainment, but she always contrives to hear a little of the beautiful sounds that charm her. Her Majesty is always gracious, and, when she is particularly pleased with a singer or player, she will order the musician to be brought to her box to be presented, when, to the great delight of the artiste, she will express the pleasure that the performance has given her. The Queen is not only interested in music, but also studies its history, and delights in hearing of the researches that have been made on the subject. She is a clever linguist, and speaks Italian, English, German, and French with equal ease, and is well up in the literature of all those countries, so that a conversation with her is a THE ANTICA CAPELLA PAOLINA. 164 The Sovereign Dadies of Europe treat to every one, whatever his or her nationality may be. Her Majesty is a great reader, and there are very few well-known books that she has not perused or heard of. She is acquainted with all the great authors of Europe, and is very fond of the work of English writers. She sees a number of the best English magazines and all the new books that are worth reading, but she also takes a great interest in the literature of France and Germany ; and the works of all three countries are well represented on her table. Had the Queen not been the wife of a reigning Sovereign, she would have been a great traveller, and, as it is, works on travels interest her almost more than anything else. Her great wish, as a girl, was to see the world, and it is always a subject of regret to her that she has been able, comparatively speaking, to make so few journeys, her duties having kept her almost entirely in Italy, so that there are many countries in Europe that she has never visited. Her Majesty, however, knows every corner of the domains of her husband, and everywhere she receives a hearty welcome when she goes amongst the people. She. delights in visiting the more out-of-the-way parts of her husband’s dominions, and is acquainted with all the most beautiful parts of Italy, as she is fond of making incognito excursions into the mountains. Since the head of the House of Savoy became the King of Italy, the various castles belonging to the other temporal rulers of that country have fallen into the hands of the King, and the present King and Queen make a point of visiting the different parts of their country in turn. Few monarchs have so many splendid residences as His Queen Margherita of Ftaly 165 Majesty King Humbert, and many of them are truly magnificent. The palaces of Italy have always been celebrated for their beauty, and those belonging to the Royal Family are still more splendid than those of the great nobles. The Queen’s charities are very large, and have made her beloved by all Italians ; but she does not care to speak of her good deeds, and it is only through others that the greatest work of her life has become known to the outside world. Her private charity is vast, and both amongst the poor in the cities and amongst the country people she is deeply loved. It is known that thousands of suffering people have been relieved and comforted by the untiring efforts of ‘La Perla di Savoia,” as she 1s called by those who love her. Her life is spent in working for and in helping others, and she has herself found that true happiness which no earthly misfortunes can take from her. In the year 1893, on April 22nd, the King and Queen of Italy celebrated their silver wedding, when they received quite an ovation from their people, and when it was plainly shown how great the popularity of Their Majesties is. Although six years have gone since then, it is difficult to realise that the Queen has passed so many married years and that she has a married son. She remains young, both in mind and appearance, and her majestic presence and graceful figure give the lie to time. For twenty-one years she has reigned with the King over Italy, having become his wife ten years previously. During those thirty-one years only good has been spoken of her, and her praises are sung by every one. Rich and poor alike have found her their best friend, and throughout 166 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Italy her example has been one that could only be followed with benefit by women of all classes in the kingdom. White has always been the favourite colour of the Queen in summer, and the King likes to see her in gowns of that hue better than in any coloured magnificence. White especially suits her delicate complexion, and is more becoming to her than anything else. A year or two ago, in Monza, the Queen said to her consort, as many a beautiful wife with a grown-up son might say, “I am becoming too old now to wear white any longer ’’ (in summer Her Majesty is always arrayed like a white daisy, in honour of her name). King Humbert looked at her, and said, ‘‘ We will hold a State Council upon the question.”” Quietly he sent to the sartorial authority who possesses the Royal measurements, and in a few days six of the richest white costumes that could be made arrived for the Queen, at King Humbert’s special command. ‘This was his reply, and a wife’s best jewels are such courtesy and such love from her husband. HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN. VII QUEEN OLGA OF GREECE, NEE GRAND DUCHESS OF RUSSIA HE King of Greece, even before late events brought him so prominently into notice, had long been one of the most picturesque and romantic Royal personalities in Europe. He is adored in his adopted kingdom ; and though his popularity, during the late disastrous war, for a time decreased, Greece has become, under his strong and wise control, far more prosperous, from a material point of view, than it could formerly claim to be. As is generally known, George I. of Greece is the second son of the King of Denmark, and therefore a brother of the Princess of Wales. He was born on Christmas Eve in the year 1845, and was christened Christian William Ferdinand Adolph George. At the time of his birth the King and Queen had no reason to think that far-away Greece would ever look to Denmark for a sovereign, and accordingly Prince William, as he was then called, was allowed to choose his own profession. He selected the navy, and was already high in the profession when, at eighteen years of age, the Crown of Greece was offered to him, so that he actually became a king before his father. On March 31st, 1863, the Greek National Assembly 169 170 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe unanimously proclaimed him the constitutional sovereign of the Hellenes. That year was destined to prove very eventful for the young Danish Prince. On June 6th he accepted the crown offered him by a deputation of Athenian citizens ; on September 12th he renounced his rights of succession to the Danish throne ; and on the last day of October George I. landed at Athens amid a scene of indescribable public rejoicing and excitement. Within a very few weeks of his arrival in Greece the youthful Sovereign showed his mettle: he proclaimed a general amnesty in favour of political and military offenders, and soon evinced a very practical and real interest in all that concerned his subjects’ welfare. But Athens was not satisfied with a bachelor King, and cried out for a Queen. It was further felt essential that the Sovereign’s consort should be a member of the Orthodox Greek Church. Russia was naturally the country in which it was most easily to find a bride whose religion was the same as that of the Greek nation ; and as there had always been a friendship between the Courts of Copenhagen and St. Petersburg, it was not difficult to discover a Queen for Greece. King George had reigned for four years, and was twenty-two years of age, when he became betrothed to the beautiful daughter of the Grand Duke Constantine | Nikolajewitch of Russia. She, at that time, was sixteen years old. Her mother, a Princess of Saxe-Altenburg, had made herself both loved and honoured in Russia by the unselfish goodness of her life. The youthful Grand Duchess Olga was the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke Constantine, and was born on September 3rd, 1851. Like all Russian girls, she was much more advanced for her years than an English girl of the same age, and she had HIS MAJESTY THE KING. (From a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Co.) 172 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe already given signs of possessing many charming qualities, so that the King and Queen of Denmark were very much pleased at the choice of their son. Only the previous year the Princess Dagmar of Denmark had been married to the then Tzarevitch, later Alexander III. of Russia, and she therefore knew her new sister-in-law well. The engage- ment was a very short one, and the King was able to see very little of his future wife during the time, as there were many necessary formalities to be arranged. ‘The marriage was celebrated at St. Petersburg on October 27th, 1867, and was the occasion of a great display of magnificence, Soon afterwards the King and Queen left for their own country, taking with them many splendid gifts from the Russian Imperial Family and the good wishes of all their friends. Even now the Athenians are never tired of talking about the home-coming of the girl-Queen. Happily dowered with the tact and good sense which seem to belong so specially to Russian women of Royal and noble birth, Queen Olga at once won what proved to be an abiding place in the hearts of her husband’s people. - She instantly grasped the fact that every citizen of Athens considers himself a descendant of the gods ; and accordingly, although ever remaining a true daughter of the Romanoffs, the Queen of Greece is graciousness itself to one and all of King George’s subjects. A pretty story is told of the first reception held by Her Majesty at the Palace. In those days there was no Court circle; indeed, -with the exception of the ladies of the corps diplomatique, there cannot even now be said to be anything of the kind in Athens. Not only the merchant-princes and their families, but all the professional men and their feminine belongings, are Queen Olga of Greece 173 as welcome at the Palace as the grandees of Spain at the Escurial. The sixteen-year-old Queen, supported only by her maids-of-honour, re- ceived the general company alone, and her regal dignity made a great impression. After the presentations had been effected, she suddenly heard King George’s step in an adjoining room; and without realising that a por- tion of the wall which sepa- rated the two apartments had been paned with clear glass, Her Majesty left the room. Catching up her long Court train, she ran forward eagerly to meet the King; while, with her hand on his arm, she anxiously enquired whether he thought she had made a good impression. A moment later she became aware that she could be seen quite plainly by those she had left with so much ceremony ; but though much confused, she took the smiles of her guests in good part. Within a year of the marriage the Crown Prince of Greece, who also bears the title of Duke of Sparta, was born, and was given the name of Constantine, after Queen Olga’s father. Other children followed in quick succession,—Prince George (now Governor of Crete) on June 24th, 1869; the Princess Alexandrine on August THE CROWN PRINCE (DUKE OF SPARTA), 174 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe 30th, 1870 ; Prince Nicholas on January 21st, 1872 ; the Princess Marie on March 3rd, 1876 ; Prince Andreas on February 1st, 1882; and Prince Christopher on August roth, 1888. Of the seven children of Their Majesties all are alive except their elder daughter, the Princess Alexandrine, who was married, when only nineteen years of age, to the Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovitch of Russia, the youngest uncle of the present Tzar, and who died from the effects of a carriage accident shortly after the birth of her second child, on September 24th, 1891. She had only been married for a little more than two years, and was a favourite with every one at the Russian Court. Her death was the most terrible grief to both her parents, and the Queen has never really recovered from her deep sorrow. The only member of the Queen’s family who was not born in Gréece is her youngest son, Prince Christopher, who first saw the light at Pavlovsk, near St. Petersburg. Not even the cares of so large a family—and the Queen takes her maternal duties very seriously indeed—have prevented King George’s consort from devoting by far the greatest part of her thought and time to actively benefiting her husband’s people. The Royal couple share one taste. They are both devoted to the sea. The Queen is never so happy as when on her yacht, and she possesses the distinction of being the only lady admiral in the world. The late Tzar, who was fondly attached to his beautiful cousin, conferred on her this naval rank. Next to the Evan- gelismos, the charity in which she takes the greatest personal interest, she gives her chief attention to the admirable Seamen’s Home established by herself, which Queen Olga of Greece 175 proves a true haven of refuge to all foreign sailors who have to make a more or less long sojourn on the fégean Sea. Before King George brought the Queen to reign with him over Attica, charitable institutions were practically unknown in the land of Homer, and no kind of provision was made by the State for the sick poor. This con- dition of things led, not only toa terrible mortality inthe poorer districts of the town, but also to many undesirable abuses. Here Queen Olga de- termined to effect a reform which would vie with those that her husband was : energetically car- _ rying out. Ac- cordingly she set aside, out of her private allowance, the sum of thirty thousand drachmas for the foundation of a nursing school, where a number of young Greek peasant women, as well as Athenian girls of the better classes, could be trained to take the place of district nurses. It was then that the Queen and the committee of ladies that she had gathered round her to help in the good AN EARLY FORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN. 176 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe work became aware that what was really wanted was a hospital, which would not only prove of the greatest value to the sick poor, but also become a practical school for nurses and doctors. The question of funds was a serious one. The King’s Civil List was only twenty- two thousand pounds a year: a very inade- quate sum—in fact, less than half the in- come assigned to the | President of the THE DUCHESS OF SPARTA. French R e€ Pp u b ] 1 Cc = Undaunted, however, the young Queen applied to the Metropolitan of Athens, and, by his orders, an appeal was issued to the faith- ful, which brought in, as though by magic, a sum sufficient to enable the now widely famed Evangelismos to be built. The foundation stone was laid by the King on April 25th, 1874, and the hospital is now capable of accommodating a hundred in-patients and sixty out- door-patients. It is interesting to note that the whole management of the hospital is vested in a council of administration composed of seven ladies, and presided over, whenever it is possible, by the Queen. To Madame Syngros, the Queen Olga of Greece 177 wife of a great Athenian mer- chant, Queen Olga has confided the duties that generally fall to a matron. The hospital is en- tirely supported by voluntary con- tributions, and the smallest sum received passes directly through the hands of the Queen before being given to the treasurer. Of late years the Evangelismos has become one of Her Majesty’s most absorbing interests and cares; she is a constant visitor, not only to the hospital, but also to the Government infirmaries, which are now being worked in THE KING AND PRINCESS MARIE. connection with it. In her daughter-in-law, the Crown Princess Sophie ot Greece, the third dauhter of the Empress Frederick, Queen Olga has found a warm sympathiser in all her charitable work ; and since Her Royal Highness became a member of the Greek Church, her influence for good amongst the people has become much greater. The Crown Princess is especially interested in founding 12 178 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe schools and hospitals, and, during the late war, was most active in personally visiting the wounded and giving her help whenever necessary. She is a great favourite with her husband’s relations, and has shown great talent in so thoroughly adapting herself to her new surroundings. She now speaks Greek extremely well, and has become very fond of her new home. — She, moreover, understands the people, and spends her time in working for them. King George goes almost every year to Aix-les-Bains, in order to have a course of the treatment; but the troubles of the late war made it impossible for him to leave home for long during two years. While in France His Majesty caused an enquiry to be made at Aix as to the bathing and hydrotherapeutic appliances, since which some of the French baths have been excellently adapted to the use of the Evangelismos, which has now the reputation of being one of the model hospitals of the world. It may be added that, though the nurses of the Evangelismos are not in any sense members of a sister- hood, each probationer is obliged to sign an agreement not to marry for six years. A salary of thirty drachmas monthly, plus a sum of one hundred and eighty drachmas at the end of each year, is paid by way of salary, a certain percentage being kept back by the management, and given with compound interest to each nurse when she leaves the establishment. The Princess Marie of Greece, the only surviving daughter of the Queen, is also very much interested in hospital work, and quite shares her mother’s views on the subject. She and the Crown Princess, during the late war, were most indefatigable in giving their help “SNOALV LV ADVIVd IVAOM FHL “il ay 180 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe at the hospitals for the wounded, and by their influence many Greek ladies were also induced to join in the good work. There is much less formality at the Greek Court than at any other European Court; and this lack of forms has, on more than one occasion, caused Royal visitors considerable astonishment, not to say discomfort. But the members of the Greek Royal Family are used to their life, and prefer it to the stiff ceremonial observed at the Courts of their relations in other parts of the Continent. Many stories, illustrative of the King’s tact and generosity, are told in Athens. One dark winter night in the year 1882 His Majesty was walking along one of the quays surrounding the Piraeus, when he was heard by a soldier on guard. ‘‘Who goes there?” The King hesitated, being unwilling to reveal his identity, and, turning abruptly, walked rapidly away. The man fired, slightly grazing his Sovereign’s shoulder. The next day the sentinel was greatly surprised to receive an invitation to the Palace. Complimenting him on his excellent aim and his attention to duty, the King with his own hand pinned an order on the astonished soldier’s coat. The official Royal residence is naturally the Palace at Athens, a large substantial, building, standing nearly opposite to the Parthenon. Although not possessed of ‘any exterior beauty save that conferred by a certain stately simplicity of form, it is full of beautiful and interesting works of art. ‘“‘Les Grecs,” as they are called in their family circle, are most popular with their British, Russian, Danish, and German relations, and beautiful souvenirs from all parts of Europe are to be seen in the rooms of the Queen and Queen Olga of Greece 181 her daughter. The King’s study reveals his ardent love for Greece, for countless relics of “the glory that was Greece”” are placed in curious juxtaposition to His Majesty’s splendid and rare collection of old and modern French novels. On the writing-table is quite a gallery of family photographs, including a number of portraits of the late Princess Alexandrine. The Queen’s rooms are very simply furnished, but are always filled with masses of beautiful flowers, for she brought with her from Russia the Muscovite love of sweet blossoms. Her Majesty has exquisite taste in the arrangement of her flowers, and takes the greatest interest in her garden. Her own boudoir overlooks the Palace gardens, which are very beautifully laid out, and which form a charming foreground to the views of the Acropolis and the hills surrounding the city. Indeed, the rosary is celebrated all over Greece, and on two days in the week the Palace gardens are thrown open to the populace, whose pleasure is, however, only complete when fortune favours them by affording them a glimpse of some member of the Royal Family. But whether the Royal Family be in Athens, at Dekeleia or Tatoi, or in the King’s pretty villa at Corfu, he is “at home” to the humblest of his subjects ; while the Queen well deserves the fine Roman eulogy, ‘“‘ Domi mansit lanam fecit,” for her whole heart and soul are bound up in her husband and her children and in her country, it being her boast that she now speaks Greek far better than she does her native tongue. Many people find it a very difficult thing to accustom themselves to an entirely different mode of life, and, to the youthful Russian Princess, the change from her native land to Greece must have been almost an entire 182 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe alteration of all the rules of her life. Her Majesty, however, is gifted with great adaptability, and from the first she found it easy to learn the manners and ways of her husband’s people, with the result that she has become a thorough Greek in her tastes and sympathies, and has brought up her children to glory in being Princes of so famous a nation. All the children of the King and Queen are most patriotic in their love and loyalty for Greece, and in consequence they have the love of their people. Amongst the many Royal personages who have dis- covered the charms of modern Greece was the late Empress of Austria; and the fact that some years ago she built herself a beautiful villa at Corfu brought her into intimate intercourse with the Greek Royal Family, so that her cruel murder in September 1898 was a sincere and deep grief to them. The Achilleon is one of the most beautiful and luxurious buildings in Europe ; and though the architect was inspired by one of the most perfect of the Roman villas at Pompeii, the palace, as its name denotes, is dedicated to the memory of Achilles. Splendid frescoes, representing the various adventures of the hero of the late Empress, cover the walls of the principal reception-rooms. Queen Olga has so many virtues and talents that it is dificult to mention half of them, and her numerous interests and energetic nature make her life a very busy one. As a mother she was perfect in the manner in which she brought up her numerous family and the good judgment she showed in her selection of their attendants. The marriage of her eldest son, the Duke of Sparta, to the third daughter of the Empress Frederick was a pleasure to all the members of the Royal Family. THE QUEEN'S BOUDOIR IN THE PALACE AT ATHENS, 184 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The Crown Prince was sent to Germany to finish his education, and was, for some time, at the University of Heidelberg. While in Germany he often had the opportunity of meeting the Emperor and Empress Frederick, then Crown Prince and Princess of Prussia, and, as a natural consequence, fell in love with the Princess Sophie, who was then only just out of the school- room. The late Emperor Frederick was greatly pleased with what he saw of the young Greek Prince, and later gave his cordial consent to the betrothal. He was pleased to think, in his last illness, that his favourite daughter was likely to have a happy married life with a Prince who was sincerely attached to her, and who had every opportunity of learning her noble characteristics before their marriage took place. In 1889, on October 27th, the Crown Prince and Princess were united in Athens, and began their life together. The Duke and Duchess of Sparta have profited by the example set them by George I. and his consort. It is no secret that their marriage was one of affection in the truest sense of the word; and the German Princess, accord- ing to the Athenians, with whom she is very popular, has even forfeited a portion of her popularity in the Fatherland owing to the fact that she has become, espe- cially in matters of foreign policy, more Greek than the Greeks themselves. This, perhaps, is not to be regretted ; for, at the time of the marriage, it was openly asserted that, if the Duke of Sparta allowed himself to be influenced by his new German relations, he would be unfitted to take the position of King of the Hellenes. Nor indeed have these feelings all been disregarded. The conversion of the Crown Princess to the Orthodox faith gave universal satisfaction, and was also, it may be noted, a step cordially THE LATEST PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN. 186 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe approved of by the mother and grandmother of Her Royal Highness, no doubt in view of the fact that her three children were, in any case, to be brought up and educated in the national religion. From her first appearance at Athens the Princess Sophie won the affections of her new relations, and her many accomplishments have made her a most valued addition to the family circle. Her Royal Highness is extremely musical, and, not contented with the instru- ments ordinarily played by ladies, she learnt the bass viol, and was soon able to perform on it in a masterly way. The birth of her elder son took place within the year following her marriage, and was the occasion of general rejoicing. Prince George, who was born on July 1gth, 1890, is a fine sturdy little fellow, who has a very great admiration for his uncle, the German Emperor, and who has been heard to say that he intends his army to be as good as that of Prussia. Young as he is, he already sees the slightest irregularity in the uniforms of the Greek soldiers, and will gravely reprimand them. He is a great favourite with his grandmother, the Empress Frederick, with whom he spends a few weeks every summer at Cronberg, where he has learnt to admire the Prussian soldiers. The second son of the Crown Prince and Princess, Prince Alexander, was born on August Ist, 1893; while her little daughter’s birthday fell on May 2nd, 1896. The three grandchildren are the greatest delight to Queen Olga and to the other members of the Royal Family, the younger Princes being very proud of their position as uncles. The Duke and Duchess of Sparta, when in Athens, lived close to the Palace, in a large town house, which Queen Olga of Greece 187 was once occupied by the Turkish Minister. Lately, however, a new palace has been built for them, which is a most charming residence. Rumours of the possible abdication of King George in favour of his eldest son have been current, and, should this event happen, his heir would at once become ruler of Greece under the title of Constantine I. Curiously enough, there is an ancient tradition in Greece which says that, when a Royal Constantine weds a Princess Sophie, his son shall reign at Constantinople ; so that the Athenian citizen of to-day looks with peculiar pride at the sturdy boys on whom so many hopes are centred, and who are connected, through their parents, with every reigning house in Europe. The Duke of Sparta is very unlike his brothers and sister. He is reserved, observant, cultivated, and cautious. He not only speaks but he writes with ease Greek, German, English, Russian, Danish, and French, and it is due to his efforts that the state of the army has been greatly improved. He is, however, more a student than a soldier, and, though gifted with personal courage, he has not the qualifications necessary for a military CHILDREN OF THE CROWN PRINCE. 188 The Sovereign DLadies of Europe leader. In spite of this, he takes a great interest in the army; and the Crown Princess, as a Hohenzollern, encourages her husband in this taste. The Duke and Duchess have a very pretty country house, but seem to prefer town life. The Princess, who, like her mother, the Empress Frederick, is fond of works of charity, always finds her time fully occupied when in Athens ; for, short as the time is that she has been in Greece, she has already founded several most necessary institutions, and takes an especial interest in helping on the schools and hospitals. Her Royal Highness gives very large sums out of her private purse; and though for a short time during the recent war she became unpopular in Greece, on account of the friendship said to exist between her brother, Kaiser Wilhelm, and the Sultan, she has now quite regained her place in the hearts of the people. During the first two or three years of her married life the Princess Sophie suffered very much from the effects of the climate, and for a long time was in a somewhat unsatisfactory state of health ; but she has now become acclimatised. In the winter of 1898 the Prince and Princess Friedrich Carl of Hesse-Cassel spent several months with their children in Greece, to the great delight of the Crown Princess, who, until her marriage, had never been separated from her youngest sister. In the summer of 1899 the sisters were again united, as the Duke and Duchess of Sparta came, during that time, for a holiday to Cronberg. The King of Greece is acknowledged to be one of the first diplomatists in Europe, having inherited this talent from his mother, the late Queen of Denmark, who had all the qualities necessary for a great statesman. Perhaps one reason why he has so long occupied the Greek throne Queen Olga of Greece 189 is that no one realises more keenly than himself how uncertain is his tenure of it. Two years ago, had he been less clever, the crash would have come, and he would have become another of the many disinherited sovereigns who lead a life of banishment in Europe. He early determined that his children should enjoy every educational advantage, and that they should, as their father once expressed it to a friend, “be able, in the case of certain eventualities, to turn their hands to anything.” Accordingly, hardly any difference was made between the education of the Crown Prince and his two next brothers, and they were all three brought up in a thoroughly practical manner, especial care having been taken with regard to the study of modern languages. The two younger sons of the King and Queen are very much the juniors of the three elder Princes, Prince Andreas being ten years younger than Prince Nicholas, and Prince Christopher six years younger than Prince Andreas. They are also receiving a most admirable education, and promise to become worthy sons of their father. An English nurse presided over the Palace nursery, so that the first language learnt by the Royal children was English. All her young charges were devotedly attached to her; and on her death, which occurred a few years ago, the King and his elder sons themselves carried her coffin to the grave. Two Greek professors and Herr Luders, a German diplomatist, who was at one time director of the German Archzo- logical School at Athens, undertook the actual education of the Princes; while the two Princesses, Alexandrine and Marie, were, when the elder had reached the age of ten, handed over to excellent French governesses. 190 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope It was not until after a consultation with the King of Denmark and the Emperor of Russia that the King decided that his eldest son should finish his education in Germany, and there re- ceive instruction in mili- tary matters. He was sent to Leipzig and Heidelberg, and entered a Prussian regiment of infantry. When at Berlin, he attracted the favourable notice both of the old Emperor William and of the late Emperor Frederick. When _ the latter came to the throne, PRINCE GEORGE OF GREECE, (From a pholograph by the London Slereo- he kept up his keen in- score) terest in the young Greek Prince. The betrothal of the Duke of Sparta to the Princess Sophie of Prussia took place shortly before her father’s death. The marriage was not celebrated until eighteen months later. Since the tragic death of their elder daughter, the Princess Marie has taken a leading place, not only in her parents’ home, but also in Athenian society. Her engagement to the Grand Duke George Michaelovitch of Russia was announced some time ago, but the King and Queen of Greece are by no means anxious to hasten the marriage of their only remaining daughter. The Queen Olga of Greece 91 disappearance of the bright, intelligent Princess would cause universal regret in Greece. She is highly accom- plished, and has a strong, determined character, combined with a most sweet disposition. She is very active and fond of outdoor amusements, and was the first lady to introduce a bicycle into the classic land-of Greece. She is her mother’s right hand in all her works of charity, and is the favourite companion of her sister-in-law, the Crown Princess Sophie. Her Royal Highness is also a great deal with her father, and it was when driving with him that the last attempt was made on His Majesty’s life. The Princess Marie showed the greatest presence of mind on that occasion, and not a trace of fear: she looked back in order that she might be able to identify the man who fired at the King. Prince George, the second son of the King and Queen, is a most popular personage in Greece, and it is hoped that his rule in Crete may be successful, though he is sure to meet with great difficulties. He is enormously tall, standing six feet three inches in his stockings, and, unlike most big men, is a great athlete. The story how he warded off the blow of a Japanese fanatic from the present Tzar, when the two cousins were travelling in the East, has often been told. The “Aunt Minn” so affectionately referred to in the young Prince’s published account of the episode has always retained a very special interest for her son’s preserver. Amongst Prince George’s most valued possessions is a huge walking-stick with a bear’s-head handle, mounted with enormous uncut gems, and bearing the inscription, “ From Alexander to Prince George for valour.” Long ‘before he became Governor of Crete, he had _ been extremely popular with the Athenians, who delighted 192 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe in relating stories about his physical strength and fear- lessness. Prince George and his next brother, Prince Nicholas, are great friends and allies, for the one is as keen a soldier as the other is a sailor. Prince Nicholas alone, of all his brothers, strongly resembles his father in appearance. He is very handsome, and is gifted with that peculiar charm of manner which distinguishes the members of the Royal Family of Denmark. Queen Olga was a grandmother when she was thirty- seven. Her eldest grandchild is the daughter of her elder daughter (the late Grand Duchess Paul of Russia), the Grand Duchess Maria Paulowna, who is in her tenth year. Then comes the Grand Duke Dimitri, who is eight, and whose mother died shortly after his birth. The Queen’s youngest son is only two years older than her granddaughter. He spends a great deal of time with the children of the Crown Prince and Princess when his parents are not at home. There are few princesses who have so thoroughly understood from the first the duties required of her as the Queen of Greece; and through her goodness and charitable works for others she has entirely won the love and confidence of her people, who look upon her as one of themselves and as a true daughter of Greece. is A RECENT PORTRAIT OF THE EMPRESS, Vill AUGUSTE VICTORIA, GERMAN EMPRESS AND QUEEN OF PRUSSIA, NEE PRINCESS OF SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN-SONDERBURG- AUGUSTENBURG HE present German Empress is the third Princess of the House of Schleswig-Holstein who has married a Prince of Hohenzollern of the Royal Line of Prussia, her predecessors having been greatly honoured and beloved in the country of their adoption. The first marriage between, the-Houses of Prussia and Schleswig-Holstein took place in the year 1502, when the Kurfuerst. Joachim I. of Brandenburg was married to the Princess Nestor Elizabeth of Denmark, whose father was at the same time King of Denmark and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. This function took place at Stendal, as Berlin was at the time devastated by the plague. The Princess, who was an excellent wife and mother, distin- guished ‘herself by her numerous charitable acts, and by the care she took to provide for the ‘orphans whose parents had fallen victims to the pest. The second union between the Houses of Hohenzollern and Schleswig-Holstein was that of the great Kurfuerst Friedrich Wilhelm, who took for his second wife the Princess Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein, to whom the people of Berlin owe the beautifying of their city. It 195 196 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe was the Kurfuerstin who planned the street of Unter den Linden, and she personally superintended the planting of the avenue of lime-trees that renders this thoroughfare one of the most beautiful in the world. She also accom- plished a great deal of building, and that part of Berlin called the Dorotheenstadt was named after her, and owes its existence to her energy and talent. The Empress Auguste Victoria was born at Schloss Dolzig, near Sommerfeld, on October 22nd, 1858, as the eldest daughter of the late Duke Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, by _ his marriage with the Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe- Langenburg, a niece of the Queen of England. Schloss Dolzig is a stately edifice, built in circular form and surrounding two courts. Here, for many years, the parents of the Empress lived a quiet country life, devoting themselves to good works, and earning for themselves and their children the love and gratitude of their humbler neighbours. The mother of the Empress, on account of the near- ness of her relationship with the English Royal Family, corresponded frequently with the Queen, and was always on affectionate terms with her cousin, the Empress Frederick, then in the first year of her married life. The Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein was the daughter of the Queen’s half-sister, the Princess Feodora of Leiningen, who married the Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and left a numerous family. During the childhood and early girlhood of the Empress, her parents passed through periods of great trial and misfortune, and, at one time, their means were very small. Those who remember the bitter animosity felt in Denmark at the annexation of the Duchies of Schleswig- THE LATEST PORTRAIT OF THE EMPRESS, 198 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Holstein by Prussia, little thought at the time that in the future they would see the eldest daughter of the dethroned Duke the happy wife of the grandson of his despoiler and reigning as German Empress, and her eldest son acknowledged as the heir to the kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, and the Duchies of Schleswig- Holstein. It is a curious fact that, so great was the hatred felt by the retainers of the Duke of Schleswig- Holstein against Bismarck, as the prime mover in the annexation, that the Chancellor’s name was used by the nurse of the Empress as a bogy to frighten her out of her fits of naughtiness. It was quite enough for the nurse to say ‘Bismarck kommt!” when her charge was not amenable to nursery authority. The little Princess was at once ready to do anything she was told, for fear the enemy of her house might appear. It seems strange that the bogy of the Princess’s child- hood should have been the man who eventually advised a union between her and the heir to the Prussian throne, and who brought about, not only her own happiness, but also the good-fortune and happiness of the other members of her family. For naturally, after the brilliant marriage made by their eldest sister, the younger Princesses of Schleswig-Holstein also made extremely good marriages. After the war of 1866 Duke Friedrich of Schleswig- Holstein retired with his family to Dolzig, where he remained for three years. In 1869 his father died, when he inherited the estate of Primkenau in Silesia, whither he removed with his wife and children, and from this time was able to live in ease and comfort. The Princess Auguste Victoria and her brother and sisters spent the quietest and simplest of lives at Schloss Primkenau, educated under the personal supervision of The German Empress 199 their parents. Here they grew up, leading happy country lives, perfectly contented, and learning from their own trials and the trials of their parents how to feel for others in misfortune—a lesson that the Princess, in the brilliant life that has been hers since her marriage, has never forgotten. The Princesses had an English governess, of whom they were very fond, so that they were accustomed to speak English in their childhood. When the Empress was sixteen and a half years old, she and her next sister (now the Duchess of Gliicksburg) were confirmed at Primkenau, the ceremony being of the simplest descrip- tion. Only the Duke and Duchess and the members of their House were present when the Princesses were examined by Pastor Meissner, who was delighted at the answers given by his pupils. The Princess Auguste Victoria was, from her earliest years, interested in charitable works, and, when quite a child, began to save her pocket-money in order to be able to help her poorer neighbours. On one occasion, when she was walking with her sister in the country lanes near Primkenau, she saw an old woman dragging a little cart with great difficulty. The Princesses ran to her, and them- selves dragged the cart up the hill. Anecdotes of the kind-heartedness of the Empress are very numerous, and, since her sphere has become so much wider, her first thought has always been for others, just as it was in the quiet days spent during her girlhood at Primkenau. The life at Primkenau was diversified by occasional visits to her various relations in England, Coburg, and Langenburg. At Langenburg the Princess was always happy, and both there and at Carlsruhe she spent many happy days with her uncle and aunt, the Prince and 200 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who were always very fond of her, and whose kindness the Empress remembers with affectionate gratitude. For many years the Emperor and Empress Frederick had thought that a marriage between their elder son and the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein would be advisable, both for diplomatic reasons and because they had had an excel- lent account of the young Princess. The Empress Frederick, then German Crown Princess, was related both to the Duke and the Duchess, for the latter is her cousin, whilst the younger brother of the Duke is the Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein who was married to the Princess Helena of Great Britain. It was in the year 1879 that the Princess first met Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, the present German Emperor, then in his twenty-first year. Prince Bismarck, who was also in favour of the marriage, considered that a union between the Schleswig-Holstein Princess and the heir to the Prussian throne would entirely put an end to the ill-feeling that still existed against Prussia in the annexed Duchies. The Crown Prince and Princess, though ardently desiring this alliance for their son, wished that the mar- riage might be one of inclination, and not merely a diplomatic alliance. They therefore arranged that Prince Wilhelm should go to Primkenau for a few days’ shooting, and he accordingly received an invitation from Duke Friedrich. Nothing was at this time settled, as both the parents of the Prince and Princess wished that their children should first meet and see whether they were suited to each other, before things went further. Prince Wilhelm went to Primkenau, and, it is said, on the way to the Schloss, left his carriage, saying he The German Empress 201 would prefer to go through the park on foot. The story goes that not far from the Castle he came on a youthful lady in a hammock reading, who rose from her comfortable place, much startled by the apparition of THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS AT THE TIME OF THEIR’ BETROTHAL. a handsome young man, who politely asked his way to the Schloss. The young lady was the Princess Auguste Victoria, who the same evening met the Prince in her mother’s drawing-room. This first meeting with the Princess made a deep impression on Prince Wilhelm, 202 The Soveretgn Ladies of LBurope who was hardly out of his boyhood ; and the more he saw of the Princess, the more he found that she was entirely suited to him. He met her daily during his stay at Primkenau, and the simple life led by the Duke and Duchess gave him every opportunity of becoming acquainted with the Princess, and finding out her unselfish nature and noble qualities ; so that, when he returned home to Berlin, he announced to his parents that he had found his ideal, and asked for their consent to prosecute his suit. Meanwhile, the Princess, left in her quiet country home, thought constantly of the charming young Prince who had given her so many delightful hours, and who had quite made her forget her resentment against the Prussian Royal Family. A curious incident is worthy of mention. At Dolzig lived the former foster-mother of the Empress, and before Duke Friedrich and his family left for Primkenau she had a dream, which she related to her nursling, and which caused great amusement. She had dreamed that she saw the Princess Auguste Victoria Empress of Germany. When the marriage of the Prince and Princess took place, this old lady was invited to the wedding festivities at Berlin, and was received with a most hearty welcome by the Crown Prince and Princess, who named her the Prophetess. It was only a few months after the visit of Prince Wilhelm to Primkenau that Duke Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein succumbed quite suddenly to a stroke at Wiesbaden, on January 14th, 1880. It was a great comfort later to the Princess Auguste Victoria to hear that her father, before his death, had given his cordial consent to her engagement with Prince Wilhelm of Prussia. Their private betrothal took place at Gotha, The German Empress 203 where the widowed Duchess was staying with her uncle, the late Duke Ernst of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, who had always been a kind friend to them. The public betrothal was celebrated on June 2nd, 1880, at the Castle of Babelsberg, near Potsdam, with the greatest magnificence. The Emperor Wilhelm I. was greatly pleased with his grandson’s choice ; even Prince Bismarck, who, at the time, was in bad health, made a point of being present, though it was his rule to shun most Court festivities. The modest and charming appearance of the young Princess won all hearts, and her first appearance at the Court of Berlin was a true presage of the life that was to be hers in the future. The marriage was a little delayed on account of the mourning for the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, but not quite a year after the betrothal the Prince and Princess were married at Berlin, on February 27th, 1881. The ceremony was of the most splendid description, and was attended by a great number of Royal personages. The day before her marriage was a very trying one for the Princess, as on that date she made her public entry into Berlin at the side of her future mother-in-law, the Crown Princess. The two Royal ladies were driven through the city in a state-carriage, drawn by eight horses. The populace was delighted with the bride’s pleasant expression and the kindly manner in which she acknowledged the greetings of the people. Her thoroughly German type of beauty also pleased them, and the fact that she was tall and had a perfect figure was also the cause of much admiration. The marriage was very popular in Germany, as it was hoped that it would bring about a friendly feeling 204 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe between Prussia and the annexed Duchies, and put an end to the antagonistic feeling felt by the inhabit- ants of Schleswig and Holstein — against their conquerors. The text of the sermon preached at the marriage of Prince Wilhelm and the bride was, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” The Empress has certainly taken this text for her watchword through life, for her charity and love for her husband’s subjects have been abundantly proved. All the old customs observed at the marriage of a member of the House of Hohenzollern were remembered at the wedding of the Prince and Princess Wilhelm. Amongst the guests present were the King and Queen of Saxony, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the Grand Duke and Duchess and the Princess Elizabeth of Saxe-Weimar, the Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein with her husband, the brother and the eldest sister of the bride, Prince Julius of Schleswig-Holstein, the Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch of Russia, the Archduke Ludwig PRINCE BISMARCK. The German Lmpress 205 of Austria, the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Prince Arnulph of Bavaria, the late Grand Duke of Hesse, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Baden and their daughter, the Crown Prince of Sweden, the late Duke of Aosta, and the Hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern, as well as representatives from the Courts of Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Roumania, and of numerous other countries. At the special wish of the Crown Princess, now the Empress Frederick, there was a large English wedding cake at the marriage banquet, and the table was decorated with orange blossoms. As is usual at the marriage of a Hohenzollern, there was a torchlight dance and the garters of the bride were distributed. These so-called garters consisted of numerous pieces of white moiré ribbon, which bore the initials of the bride, the date of the marriage, and the Imperial crown. They are naturally preserved with great care by those who have the honour of receiving them, and are distributed by the Oderhof- meisterin of the Empress. For the first years of their married life Prince and Princess Wilhelm of Prussia lived very quietly, as their duties of representation were but small, the Empress Augusta and the Crown Princess both being able to do their part in the Court society, so that the young Prince and Princess were able to live a peaceful life, which the latter more especially appreciated. During the summer their home was the beautiful Marble Palace, where five of their seven children were born. In the winter they had a large suite of rooms at the Stadt-Schloss in Potsdam, the same Schloss which they occupied in the autumn of 1898, during the time that the repairs at the New Palace were being done. 206 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The Empress often looks back with something like regret at the happy, peaceful life she spent with her husband during the first seven years of their married life, when her chief duties were the care of her children and being a companion to her husband. The Princess Wilhelm was very shy and reserved when she first married, for she was quite unaccustomed to the splendour of a great Court. She had been brought up in a most simple fashion at Primkenau, and had lived the greater part of her life in the country ; and though she had naturally visited other Courts when staying with her relations, she had been present at hardly any Court festivities. It was therefore at first somewhat difficult for her to adapt herself to the formal etiquette demanded at the Prussian Court—an etiquette that even the Empress Frederick had found irksome when she came to Berlin as a youthful bride of seventeen. In her father- and mother-in-law the Princess found the kindest and most sympathetic of friends, the old Emperor Wilhelm and the Empress Augusta also doing all in their power to make the life of their granddaughter happy. Kaiser Wilhelm I. was, from the outset, greatly attracted by the wife of his grandson, her womanly grace and charm appealing to all that he considered ideal in a wife. He often said how much she reminded him of his own mother, the famous Queen Louise, who is remembered in Prussia with so much love and admira- tion to the present day. There is a beautiful portrait of Queen Louise, representing her with the Emperor Wilhelm as a tiny child in her arms, she bending over him.and kissing him. At the wish of the Emperor the present Empress was painted exactly in the same manner BALL-ROOM IN THE NEW PALACE AT POTSDAM. 208 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope with the Crown Prince in her arms. A second painting was executed of the present Empress descending a staircase, also in imitation of a portrait of Queen Louise. The friend who was the greatest aid to the Princess Wilhelm in the first days of her marriage was the Countess Waldersee, who instructed her in all the intricacies of Prussian Court etiquette, advised her in all difficult questions, and helped her to steer her course straight through every difficulty. The Countess Waldersee is an American lady by birth. She was a Miss Esther Lee, the daughter of a New York banker. In the year 1864 she married Prince Friedrich of Schleswig- Holstein, a great-uncle of the German Empress, and, after her marriage, received the title of Princess von Noer from the Emperor of Austria. Her married happiness was, however, of but short duration, for Prince Friedrich died only a few months after his marriage, and she was left a young widow with enormous wealth. With her husband’s relations the Princess Noer was on the most affectionate terms, and, with her large means, she was often able to be of great assistance to them. The parents of the Empress grew to regard her as their very dear friend, and their children looked on their American aunt as a kind of fairy Princess. For several years after the death of Prince Friedrich his wife lived at Wiesbaden, where she became famous for the magnificence of her entertainments, as well as for her unbounded charity. In the year 1874 she married for the second time, her choice being Count von Waldersee, who had every prospect of making a most brilliant career. At the time of the marriage of the Prince and Princess The German Empress 209 Wilhelm of Prussia, Count Waldersee held a post in Berlin, and naturally he and his wife became their most trusted friends. The Countess proved a most valuable companion to the Princess in the early years of her marriage ; and though shortly after Prince Wilhelm succeeded to the throne Count Waldersee, for diplomatic reasons, received a post some distance from Berlin, the Emperor and Empress continued to regard him and his wife with the warmest affection. They never forget a kind action, nor those who are their loyal friends. A little more than a year after their marriage there were great rejoicings at Berlin and throughout Prussia, for on May 6th, 1882, at 9.50 p.m., a son was born to Their Royal Highnesses, who is now the Crown Prince. Prince Wilhelm himself took the news to his grandfather, and was able to tell him that his first-born was a fine healthy baby. The old Emperor was greatly pleased to welcome an heir in the fourth generation, and, as soon as possible, hastened to the Marble Palace, in order to make the acquaintance of the youngest Prince of his House. Prince Wilhelm expressed a wish that all those guests who had been present at his marriage should also be invited to the christening of his son. This was done, and the greater part of those invited were able to come. The baby received the names of Friedrich Wilhelm Victor August Ernst. The births of the other children of the Emperor and Empress followed in quick succession. Prince Eitel Fritz was born on July 7th, 1883; Prince Adalbert on July 14th, 1884; Prince August Wilhelm on January 29th, 1887; Prince Oscar on July 27th, 1888; Prince Joachim on December 17th, 1890; and the Princess 14 210 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Victoria Louise on September 13th, 1892. All the children, except Prince Joachim, are strong and healthy ; and even he, who was a very delicate baby, is now very much improved, and promises quite to outgrow his former delicacy. Little Princess Luischen is the picture of health, and is a most clever and charming child, very tall for her age, and with extremely quick powers of perception. It is in her home life that the Empress shows herself in one of her most charming lights. Her Majesty 1s an ideal mother, and, in spite of her manifold duties, she personally supervises, not only the education of her children, but every single detail connected with their comfort and well-being. A private staircase connects the wing in which the Royal nurseries are located with the apartments of the Empress, who is thus able, at all hours of the day or night, to visit her children, and no evening passes without her going to wish her darlings good-night. Even when she returns home late at night, or retires late from some Court festivity, Her Majesty does not go to rest herself until she has made the round of the little beds, and has satished herself that her children are well and happy. A pretty story is related about the Crown Prince and his younger brothers, which happened at a Bible lesson several years ago, when they were much younger. The teacher of the Princes said, ‘“‘ There is no one without sin,’ when Prince Eitel Fritz jumped up and said, “ That is not true, for my mamma has never sinned.” Many are the pleasant visits that the Empress has paid her elder sons at their school at Ploen, when she has inspected all their favourite places, seen them at play and work, and received their young friends in the kindest THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS, WITH THEIR SEVEN CHILDREN, 212 The Sovereign Dadies of Europe manner possible, so that the boys have lost all feeling of shyness and constraint. At Ploen the Empress is very happy. Here she is in her old home, and she never forgets that she 1s a Princess of Schleswig-Holstein. Her Majesty orders a great many commodities from Schleswig and Holstein for the Imperial table, and does all that is possible for the home industries of these countries. The Empress does not, however, by any means expend all her energies on her children, for she is as ideal a wife as she is a mother, sharing all her husband’s joys and sorrows, entering into all his pleasures and pursuits, and showing herself in every respect a true comrade, whose worth is above all price. The Emperor once remarked, ‘My wife is a pearl among women”; and in these few words he expressed his sense of her worth, her purity, and her thorough goodness. Some of the most enjoyable days of the life of the Empress since her husband’s accession to the throne have been those that she has spent with him each year at a fagdschloss, or shooting-box, when she has been able to be out of doors the entire day, and to lead an utterly free life. On these expeditions the Empress is always armed with her camera, for she is a skilful photographer, and likes to snap-shot all the game shot by the Emperor, as well as picturesque views and groups of His Majesty’s guests. The Empress’s collection of photographs, taken by herself, is very large and extremely interesting. Not less worthy of note are the sporting pictures, and she has a large collection of family scenes from the lives of her children and portraits of their pets and family groups. Each time one of her children has a new pet, the first request is that the Empress should photograph it. The German Empress 213 During the recent tour that she and the Emperor made in the East, Her Majesty took an immense number of interesting views, and also photographed the different types of people of the countries through which she passed. These photographs were reproduced and exhibited in the winter of 1898 in Berlin for a charity, so that her work brought in a very large sum for the poor she is specially interested in. Her Majesty’s love for the beauties of nature is very strong, this being one of the reasons that make a sojourn at the shooting-lodges of the Emperor so great a pleasure to her. Her taste for flowers also causes her to take the greatest interest in her gardens. She 1s fond, when she has the time, of herself arranging the vases of flowers in her private apartments. Artistic as the Empress is in her arrangement of flowers, she is naturally very particular about the way in which the floral decorations of the table at the Castle aredone. She especially dislikes any stiffness or formality. The accession of the Emperor to the throne was at first a trial to the Empress, who had so thoroughly appre- ciated her happy, quiet life ; and at the outset she must have found it somewhat difficult to accustom herself to the duties entailed by her lofty position. Naturally, at the time of her marriage, there was no idea that Prince Wilhelm would so soon become the ruler of Germany, for the Emperor Frederick seemed in the prime of life and likely to enjoy a long reign ; so there was, compara- tively, but little preparation by the young Prince and Princess for their onerous duties. The painful details of the short reign of the Emperor Frederick, and his tragic death, with the many compli- cations that arose, made the commencement of the reign 214 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe of the present Emperor exceedingly sad. For the Empress the first year of her life as German Empress and Queen of Prussia was full of difficulties and trials ; but, with her kind heart and exquisite tact, she conducted her life and her Court in a manner that won the praise of all those who knew her position. It was the very goodness of her character and her unselfishness that helped her to overcome her naturally shy disposition, and now there is no Royal lady in Europe who more thoroughly understands the art of representation and of fufilling her duties as a reigning sovereign than the German Empress. One of the tasks of the Empress was to find suitable conversation for the numerous people with whom it was necessary for her to talk ; but it was remarked at Court that Her Majesty had quite mastered this difficulty when she returned from her visit to Constantinople, where she had seen so much that it gave her subjects of conversation for months. By the time these subjects had become old, the Empress had so got into the habit of talking, that she has found the art of conversation quite easy ever since. Her Majesty has the most pleasant of manners when speaking to a stranger; and if the person presented happens to be married, almost her first question is whether he or she has any children, and, should that be the case, she is delighted to talk about the small people, asking innumer- able questions, giving advice, and comparing notes. She always speaks of her family as “the children” ; but when mentioning the Emperor she says “the Kaiser,” though in an intimate circle she always calls him “ Willy.” He, on the other hand, speaks of the Empress simply as ‘* meine though he also sometimes gives her the title of ’ Frau,’ Kaiserin. THE EMPEROR WILLIAM II. (Pholo by Lafayette, Dublin.) 216 The Sovereign Dadies of Europe No wife could have suited the German Emperor better than the one he has chosen. Her constant kindliness, good-nature, and cheerful manner are a help to him in public life. A pleasant smile from the Empress often does away with the somewhat too serious impression made by the Emperor on public occasions when he is not quite pleased. Their Majesties exactly compensate each other, as, though they are always at one, their different natures are a great help to each other. The Empress is gifted with the most perfect tact, that tact dictated by a kind heart. By a smile she has made many a rough place smooth for her husband, and by a few kind words, spoken at the right time, she has made an interview pass off well which would otherwise have been a failure. She is universally admired in Germany, and with right, for she has shown herself both good and clever ; and though she outwardly never mixes herself up in politics, her influence is felt in almost every act of the Emperor. His Majesty always consults her about all private affairs, and her advice is invariably sensible and judicious, especially as regards the education of their children. The Empress is above everything a strong Churchwoman ; it is entirely through her influence that the Emperor now lays so much stress on the necessity of religious education and religious observances. Both he and _ she give thousands every year towards the erection of new places of worship. The present attitude taken by the Prussian Court towards the Church has done an immense amount of good, but it has also had its disadvantages, as the Protestant clergy have now perhaps got too much power. Though religious observances may be beneficial, it is never wholesome for any particular set of officials AN EARLIER PORTRAIT OF THE EMPRESS, 218 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe to have too much influence, and the German Protestant clergy must be spoken of as officials. However, an immense amount of good has been done by the Emperor and Empress in their work for the Church, and the tone of the Prussian Court has improved very much since the Empress has been at the head of Court society in Berlin. The perfectly happy family life led by Their Majesties is a splendid example to their subjects, and many have been induced to endeavour to find happiness at home who formerly thought such a thing an impossibility. The Kaiser is a model husband and father in every sense of the word, so that his example is well worth following by one and all of his subjects. Formerly there was much more freedom allowed as regards religious observances than is now the case in Germany, the strict position taken in regard to the Church being entirely owing to the influence of the Empress. It may be even said that it is now the fashion to be religious in Prussia, for not to go to church is considered bad form, as is still the case in many parts of England. Although there are always many people in every country who make the outward observance of religion the means to an end, it must be said that, since the German Emperor and Empress have reigned, there is a decided improvement to be remarked as regards the tone of German society, which is said to emanate from the Court of Berlin. In Germany the greatest praise that can be given to a woman is to say that she is a good Hausfrau, this term meaning not only a thrifty, clever housekeeper, but many other excellent qualities necessary to make a home pleasant. By those Germans who look on the good Hausfrau as the most perfect of her kind, the German Empress is also The German Lmpress 219 greatly admired; for Her Majesty, like all sensible women, takes a great interest in her housekeeping and in personally looking after the comfort and well-being of her husband and children. Every day the menus for the Imperial meals are submitted to her for approval, when she criticises each item in the bill of fare, and makes the alterations that she considers necessary. The Emperor has a healthy appetite, and prefers plain joints to made dishes; he has a regular English breakfast, at which the Empress always makes a point of being present, even when His Majesty chooses to breakfast at 6 a.m, or earlier. This is very often the case in summer, the Kaiser being an early riser and fond of spending an hour in the open air, if possible, before he begins the day’s duties. This meal, which the Empcror and Empress generally take alone, is more enjoyed by the Empress than any other in the day, as she is then alone with her husband, and is able to discuss many private family matters with him : it is the time when Their Majesties most realise the happiness of their married life together. At the con- clusion of breakfast, the younger children often come in to say good-morning to their parents, and spend a few minutes with them. At luncheon there are generally a few guests present, and invitations are almost always given for this meal, about eight or ten people being usually asked: the conversation is always animated and interesting. At dinner the Emperor also likes to have friends ; and the evening is often finished with music, both Their Majesties being extremely musical. The Empress is a first-rate pianist, playing by choice the music of the classical composers. Beethoven is her chief favourite. The 220 The Sovereign Dadies of Lurope Emperor sings extremely well, having a beautiful baritone voice and great power of expression. His Majesty always likes to be ac= companied by the Empress when he sings, unless Prince Henry of Prussia happens to be present, when he is quite satisfied if his brother accom- panies hice: Prince Henry THE THREE ELDEST SONS OF THE EMPEROR AND plays the violin, EMER ESS) and is an excellent performer. The Crown Prince also shows very decided musical talent, the instrument chosen by him being the violin. His Imperial Highness devotes a great deal of his spare time to the study of music, and, like his father, also takes a keen interest in theatrical affairs. Prince Eitel Fritz plays the piano. Thus it will be seen that it is easy for the Prussian Royal Family to have delightful musical evenings quite amongst themselves. The Princes are educated with great strictness. In summer they rise at 6 a.m., and in winter at seven o'clock. At 7.30 they breakfast, when they have a simple meal The German Lmpress 221 of rolls, with butter and coffee. At eight o’clock lessons begin, which last for an hour and a half, when a second breakfast is partaken of, immediately after which the lessons continue. These lessons are diversified with riding and drill, so that the Princes get plenty of exercise. At their riding lessons the Empress will often be present mounted, when she will show her sons how to do what is required of them. When Her Majesty does happen to come there is great delight, and her sons take the greatest pride in doing their very best before their mother. Herself a skilful rider, she is greatly interested in all the bodily exercises of her children, as well as in their mental culture. For some years Her Majesty was somewhat timid about riding, and for a short time appeared but seldom on horseback ; but she has now quite recovered her former delight in horsemanship, and there are very few days, when the weather is fine, that she is not to be seen having her morning canter with her husband and sons. All the children of the Emperor are devoted to riding, and even little Princess Luischen has her pony, and is already quite capable of managing him. Her Royal Highness, from her first lesson, had a naturally good seat. Cycling is also a very popular recreation with the sons of the Empress, but she herself has never taken to this pastime, and is one of the few Royal ladies of Europe that has not done so. There are cycling-tracks laid down in the parks at Potsdam for the Princes, and the elder sons of the Emperor are fond of making long tours when at Ploen. ‘he boys dine at half-past one, when they have a plain, substantial meal, consisting of soup, fish, a joint with vegetables, pudding and fruit. After dinner comes 222 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe the play hour, and later on lessons in science and music until six o’clock, when they have their supper and go early to bed. The elder Princes, who are now at school at Ploen, naturally follow different rules of life. The members of the Royal Family are also very fond of driving themselves in a small basket-carriage, their grey pony, which is called ‘“Seehund,” having his harness hung with silver bells. He is a delightful little animal, and a great pet with the Royal children. A great impetus has been given to music by the Emperor and Empress, as they are ready to encourage all deserving musicians. In Court society they have discovered an immense amount of talent, so that the sozrées musicales of Their Majesties are always a treat. In Berlin there are a number of amateurs who may be said to be quite equal to professionals, and amongst the members of the Royal Family there are several persons who are excellent musicians. The sons of the Prince Regent of Brunswick are all three devoted to music, while Prince Max of Baden sings beautifully, and there are numerous others whose chief forte is music. Of art in all its branches the Emperor and Empress have shown themselves most liberal patrons, and at no period in the history of Prussia has so much been done for artists, musicians, writers, and the learned professions as at the present time. The Empress is extremely economical as regards the clothing of her children, for she is the enemy of every kind of extravagance, and considers it healthy to inculcate economy wherever she can. The suits of the elder Princes are often altered for their younger brothers, and, when too old to be worn by them any longer, are given away to poor children, in order that nothing may be wasted. With her own wardrobe the Empress is equally careful. The German Empress 223 Her Majesty has a staff of dress- makers who are always at work remodelling her Court gowns, so that it is possible for her to appear in them several times over without their being recog- nised. It is a rule that no Court dress shall be worn twice, so that con- stant alterations are necessary, and the work-women THE EMPRESS’ ELDEST DAUGHTER. are kept in occu- pation almost all the year round. One ot the dames ahonneur superintends the above-mentioned staff. © When the Empress is about to set off on a journey, more than thirty women are engaged on her outfit. They make all her walking- and travelling-gowns, as well as repairing and renovating the other costumes. The grand Court costumes are made by one of the first artistes in Berlin, whose charge to the Empress for the making alone is about fifteen pounds—not a very large sum, compared with the prices of London and Parisian costumiers. Her Majesty has also had dresses from Vienna, which have been very successful. Many people consider the Vienna taste better than that of Paris. 224 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The Empress never orders her dresses herself—that is done by the Oderhofmetsterin, who has patterns sent to the Schloss, from which she selects a certain number, which are then submitted to the Empress for her approval. Her Majesty makes her choice, and later settles, from pictures, the way in which the gown is to be made. The old Court robes of the Kaiserin are given by her to the ladies of her Court, while her morning dresses become the property of her maids, and are sold by them in Berlin, there being special people who buy the cast-off wardrobes of the various Royal ladies. An effort is now being made in Berlin to form a society the members of which are to give their Court costumes for a small price to deserving actresses, as it is well known that most artistes do not receive a large enough salary to make it possible for them to provide themselves with the magnificent costumes now thought necessary at the German theatres. It is hoped that the the Empress may be induced to give her patronage to this society. Personally, Her Majesty delights in simple clothing, and when in the country generally wears a serge skirt with a pretty blouse and simple straw hat. If staying at a ‘Fagdschloss with the Emperor, she wears a suitable Loden costume of a pretty shade of green—which, it is said, was partly designed by the Emperor himself—and with it a beautiful hunting-knife, given to her by her husband, which gives a very charming finish to this original and practical dress. The Empress, who, as a girl, led a very active country life, is still very fond of outdoor pursuits, and finds one of her greatest amusements in tennis. She often plays with her husband and sons, as she finds the exercise “WVdSLOd LV dDV1Vd AHL NI NOTVS WV 15 226 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope beneficial to her health, The Emperor has courts at all his residences. Those at Berlin and Potsdam are covered courts, so that it is possible to play during the winter as well as in summer. His Majesty is an excellent player, and likes a men’s set when possible. The Princes are also good at the game, which may be said of most of the members of the Court. The Emperor has an objection to any one growing too stout. The Empress had, at one time, a slight tendency in that direction; but, since she underwent a cure, her figure has become as slight as in the days of her early girlhood. She is quite as graceful as ever ; and as she is most energetic in taking exercise, and also follows a course of diet, there is no danger of the fears of the Emperor becoming realised. The Empress never looks better than when on horse- back. She has a perfect seat, and her plain habit suits the beautiful proportions of her figure almost better than any other costume. She has many favourites amongst her horses, most of which are of a brown colour. Kriembhild, Esther, Siegfried, are the names of three that she is especially fond of. All her horses are so thoroughly well trained that no accident can happen ; and this is absolutely necessary, as she often appears mounted at a review, and has, on several occasions, led her regiment past the Emperor. The stables of the Empress are kept separate from those of the Emperor, and are under entirely different manage- ment. In them she keeps, besides her own steeds, the horses belonging to her suite and to her sons. The Princess has also been promoted to having a pony of her own, which has its quarters in Her Majesty’s stables. Her horses are trained to stand fire, to hear drums and The German Empress 227 military music, without shying—in fact, to be equal to any emergency. The Empress looks especially well when mounted and in her cuirassier uniform, the dress she wears on all great occasions when on horseback. With this uniform the Empress wears a “‘ three-master ” with white plumes, which is extremely becoming to her. Her carriage-horses are also very carefully trained, and are all of them beautiful animals. The Emperor has a custom of riding different horses with different uniforms. When he is wearing his cuirassier uniform, he rides a light brown horse named Ramses. As well as being a first-rate rider, the German Emperor is also a good whip, and is very fond of driving the Empress when they are in the country. There are very few people who excel in so many things as Kaiser Wilhelm, and it is very wonderful how he can possibly find the time to learn so many accomplishments. He has always been extremely active. He rises early, and not a minute in the day is wasted. In this way he accomplishes an immense amount of work which would be an im- possibility to most men. The Empress also is very diligent, and never wastes her time. Her children are brought up to consider that their lives have been given them for a good purpose, and that it is wrong not to make good use of their time, ‘the consequence being that they are always happy and contented. Ever since the days of her early girlhood the Empress has kept a diary, in which she has set down her daily experiences : these diaries have been seen by no one, not even the Emperor having had permission to read them. Every evening she notes the events of the day, after which the volume used is placed with the others in 228 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe a cabinet in her private sitting-room: the cabinet is kept locked, and the key is never out of her possession. Perhaps some day, in the far future, the personal experiences of the Empress Auguste Victoria will be published. When that happens, it is probable that light may be thrown on many dark places in history. It is certain that the daily thoughts of Her Majesty cannot fail to be of the greatest interest to those who come after her. Most people think of the Empress simply in her most admirable character as wife and mother ; for her womanly traits have caused her to be regarded in Germany as the ideal of all that a German woman should be. However, as well as being a perfect wife and mother, the German Empress is also a deep thinker, with strong sympathies, antipathies, and prejudices. She thoroughly understands the secret that women can mostly influence the world for good by helping their husbands and sons onwards and upwards to higher and better things. The influence of the German Empress is felt through the length and breadth of her husband’s dominions—a gracious womanly influence, which gives an example that all other women can follow. Her Majesty is always ready to help in every deserving cause, and her private charities are very great. Her kindness to all children, and especially to poor children, is proverbial. She is in favour of women receiving a better education than they have hitherto had, but she considers that they should recognise as their highest duties the training of children and the nursing of the sick, two essentially feminine occupations. Her Majesty is not in favour of a public life for women, seeing how much more The German Empress 229 they can influence and help the world to noble works by remaining in their own sphere. By her gentle manner, her kindness, and her pure, good life, she has won the love and respect of the German nation. THE QUEEN OF SAXONY. IX THE QUEEN OF SAXONY, NEE PRINCESS VON HOLSTEIN-GOTTORP-WASA O all those who have the honour of meeting and knowing her, the Queen of Saxony is a most charming personality, her bright, sunny nature, her kind heart, and her exquisite tact making her loved and respected by all those who come in contact with her. To those who are privileged to hold daily intercourse with Her Majesty, she has become the ideal of all they hold pure and good in womankind. Queen Carola is the last descendant of the Swedish Royal House of Holstein-Gottorp, which was descended on the spindle-side from the ancient Royal Linz of Wasa, the true House of Wasa having died out in the male line with King Gustave I. of Sweden in the year 1523. Adolf, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, who was born in 1710, was appointed King of Sweden in right of his wife, a Baden Princess, whose grandmother was a Wasa and a sister of Carl X. of Sweden. On ascending the throne, Duke Adolf adopted the name of his wife’s ancestors ; but his line was also destined to die out, and, at present, his only direct descendant is the subject of our sketch, though there are many descendants on the female side from Duke Adolf amongst the members of the other European Royal Houses. 231 232 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Queen Carola’s father was the son of King Gustave IV. of Sweden, who abdicated on March 29th, 1809, and who died in 1837, leaving a son and a daughter. The daughter married the Grand Duke Carl Leopold of Baden, and was the mother of the present Grand Duke; while the son, who was known later in life as Prince Gustave Wasa, married the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke aa ROYAL SCHLOSS, DRESDEN. Carl Ludwig of Baden, whose other daughters became respectively the wives of the late Prince of Hohenzollern and the late Duke of Hamilton. These three Princesses of Baden, who were all of them beautiful, had for their mother the adopted daughter of Napoleon I., Stéphanie de Beauharnais, who had received the title of Imperial Highness and the rank of a Princess from the Emperor, and who was married by him to the then Grand Duke of Baden, as he wished to bring French The Queen of Sarony 233 influence into the Grand Duchy. Unfortunately, both the sons of Stéphanie died (it was at the time said by foul play), and, in consequence, the ancient line of Zahringen died out in the male line, the present Grand Ducal Line of Baden being descended from the morganatic marriage of the Grand Duke Carl Friedrich with the Baroness Geyer yon Geyersberg. Of the two aunts of Queen Carola, the elder, the Princess- Dowager of Hohenzollern, 1s still alive ; while the Duchess of Hamilton died many years ago, her only daughter, who was first married to the Prince of Monaco, being now the wife of Count Festetics. The late Prince Gustave Wasa was married to the "® 2VSEN Of Savon Bee Princess Louise of Baden on November gth, 1830, and went with her to Austria, where the greater part of their married life was spent, their principal home having been Morawitz, in Moravia, which residence, since her father’s death, has been turned by the Queen into a home for the aged poor, who has named it, in memory of her mother, the ‘ Luisenheim.’”’ It was, however, at the Castle of Schonbrunn, near Vienna, that Princess Carola was born, not quite three years after the marriage of her parents ; and it was in Austria, and partly at Vienna, that she spent her happy youth amongst her kind Austrian friends. The Princess Gustave Wasa and her sisters had been brought up in the Catholic faith of their mother, in spite 234 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe of the fact that their father was the head of one of the great Protestant Houses of Germany. Stéphanie de Beauharnais had, however, stipulated before her marriage that any daughters of her union with the Grand Duke of Baden should be brought up according to the tenets of her Church, while the sons should follow the Protestant faith of their father. The Princess Carola grew up a very beautiful girl in her Austrian home, with dark hair, blue eyes, and a perfect complexion, her cheerful, sweet expression telling surely of the good qualities of heart that she possessed. She was also gifted with a winning manner, and her bright, happy nature caused her to be a favourite with all those who met her. The beautiful Princess was not without many suitcrs for her hand. Amongst them came Napoleon III., who thought her particularly suitable to be the future Empress of France, on account of her near relationship to the adopted daughter of the Great Napoleon. But the Princess had no ambition to rule by his side over the French nation ; his suit was rejected by her parents ; and, a year later, he married Mademoiselle Eugénie de Guzman. The Princess had her own ideas about matrimony, and was in no hurry to leave her home; but when Prince Albert of Saxony appeared on the scene, and showed her clearly that she had won his heart, all her objections vanished ; and it was a very happy young Princess who plighted her troth with him. The near relationship that existed between the Courts of Saxony and Austria made it easy for Prince Albert to visit Vienna and prosecute his suit with the Princess Carola. When he was twenty-four and she nineteen “ZLINTIId LV SSOTHOS TIVAOU AHI. 236 The Sovereign Dadies of Europe years of age, their betrothal was made public, and gave the greatest satisfaction to both families. Prince Albert, the son of the poet King Johann, was both handsome and clever, a veritable Prince Charming, and very capable of winning the heart of a beautiful young Princess. The marriage Ra HER IMPERIAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS FRIEDRICH took p! ace at AUGUST OF SAXONY. Dresden on June 18th, 1853, two months before the happy young bride completed her twentieth year. As the heir-presumptive to the throne, the marriage of Prince Albert was cele- brated with great magnificence, all the members of the Saxon Royal Family being present, as well as a large number of the bride’s relations. Prince and Princess Albert of Saxony lived a very happy, peaceful life at Dresden after their marriage, the first sorrow of the Princess having been caused by the death of her mother. What made it still sadder was the fact that she herself was too ill at the time to be able to leave her bed, and she therefore was unable to see her mother again. During her sorrow and illness her aunt, the The Queen of Sarony 237 Princess of Hohen- zollern, came to her, and comforted her in the first days of her grief. The friendship and deep love existing between Queen Carola and her aunt of Hohen- zollern have lasted all their lives, and, during the first years of her married life, this aunt was like a mother to her. The love and sympathy shown her have been fully repaid by the Queen, PRINCE FRIEDRICH AUGUST OF SAXONY, HEIR who, now that the TO THE KINGDom. Princess of Hohen- zollern is old and often alone, never fails to pay her frequent visits each year, and is in every respect like a most loving and dutiful daughter to her. For nineteen years Princess Carola lived in Saxony with the rank of Crown Princess, and, during this time, her generous, affectionate nature won her the affection, not only of her husband’s relations, but also that of his future subjects, who quickly learnt to understand the noble, unselfish disposition of their future Queen. On October 29th, 1873, King Johann died, and was 238 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope succeeded by his eldest son. The late King was a prince of great intellectual capacity, who did his best to make Dresden the centre of great thought and the meeting- place for the rising geniuses of his time ; through his efforts the Saxon Court improved greatly in tone, and became one of the most refined and intellectual in Germany. King Albert is a worthy successor of his father, and in his Queen he has found a true helpmate, whose chief object in life is to help others. Her Majesty is devoted to children, and, though she has none of her own, she thoroughly understands them, and knows always exactly what is necessary for a child’s comfort. One of the great works of her life has been to improve and render happier the lives of the children of Saxony, for, with her tender heart, she is anxious to help all those little ones who are wretched and neglected. Through her exertions homes for children, orphanages, schools, and children’s hospitals have been founded in all parts of the kingdom, and Her Majesty takes an active personal interest in the well-being of all these institutions. The numerous educational establishments are already having a very beneficial effect on the coming generation ; and the Queen teaches charity to all, for she not only helps the charitable institutions of her own Church, but is also ready to give assistance to worthy charities founded by members of the Protestant Church. Queen Carola has not, however, devoted her life only to working for poor children; she has also been a most kind and affectionate aunt to her nephews and _ nieces. When her sister-in-law, the Princess Georg of Saxony, née Infanta of Portugal, died in 1884, leaving six children (the youngest of whom was only nine years of The Queen of Sarony 239 age), it was she who acted as a mother to the motherless children, and has until now filled the place left empty by the Princess. Her Majesty has been a most loving and thoughtful THE KING OF SAXONY. friend to her nephews and nieces, and they have been a great interest to her, so that she has grown to look upon them almost as her own sons and daughters. The six children of Prince Georg of Saxony are now all grown 240 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope up. The eldest, the Princess Mathilde, who is un- married, lives with her father, to whom she is devoted 5 the second, Prince Friedrich August, who, after his father, is the heir to the throne, is married to the Archduchess Louise Antoinette Marie of Austria, the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and is the father of three sons; the third, the Princess Maria Josepha, is married to the Archduke Otto of Austria ; the fourth, Prince Johann Georg, is married to the Duchess Isabella of Wirtemberg ; the fifth, Prince Max, is working as a parish priest in Nuremberg, having formerly been in an East London parish; while the sixth, Prince Albert, is still studying at the Leipzig University. Queen Carola, as well as all the members of the Royal Family of Saxony, is a loyal adherent of the Catholic Church. She is deeply religious, and most particular in regarding the observances ordered by the ritual; very few mornings pass without Her Majesty being present at early Mass, the only exceptions being if she is ill or if she is living at too great a distance from the church. She has an energetic nature, and is an early riser, as she considers too long sleeping a distinct waste of the precious time given to her to use for the benefit of others. She is never idle, being always employed, and even when in deep conversation her busy fingers are at work with knitting or crochet, or with the making of some warm garment for her poor people. This habit of being constantly employed she endeavours to teach the ladies of her Court, and, in consequence, a great quantity of useful work is done by the dames d'honneur, which is destined for the poor pensioners of Her Majesty. One of the dearest friends of Queen Carola is her cousin, the Countess of Flanders, the only daughter of ‘Ndasauda ‘SSOTHOS IVAOU FHL JO GUVALUNOD AHL 16 242 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe her beloved aunt, the Princess-Dowager of Hohenzollern. Naturally, the Queen and the Countess, who were a great deal together in their youth, have much in common, in spite of the fact that there is a considerable difference in their ages. They both have a strong sense of duty, and are gifted with a happy temperament. The Queen is also extremely fond of the daughters of the Countess of Flanders, her favourite being the Princess Josephine, who is married to her cousin, Prince Carl Anton of Hohenzollern, and who, with her husband and children, is a frequent visitor at the Court of Dresden. Her Majesty also will often pay a little visit to Potsdam (where Prince Carl Anton is in garrison), in order to spend a few hours with the Princess. As I mentioned before, Queen Carola, though a devout Catholic, does not scruple to help Protestant charities in her husband’s kingdom, a fact that greatly conduces to her influence for good and her universal popularity. One of her favourite institutions is the Carola House, a hospital founded by her, and which is attended by nurses who do not belong to any particular sisterhood. This hospital is splendidly managed, and has all the newest inventions and conveniences for the comfort of the patients, who are always very numerous, so that there are rarely any beds vacant. The Court of Saxony ts one of the most wealthy in Germany, and has for many years been distinguished for its refinement and intellectual tone—the refinement being, in a great part, due to the influence of the present Queen, who, like the Queen of England, has set the women of her country the example of a pure womanly life, a life that all true women should strive to lead without the hope of earthly glory. How much can be done by The Queén of Savory 243 those in authority to improve the tone of society has been often proved in many other countries as well as in England and Saxony. The Queen’s jewels are famous for their magnificence, and on great State occasions Her Majesty is covered with precious stones, though in or- dinary life she prefers simple attire. The Crown jewels of Saxony are amongst the most valuable of any in Europe, and there are many unique specimens amongst them. FRIEDRICH CHRISTIAN, ELDER SONS OF Prince and Princess THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS FRIEDRICH Friedrich August of Pa Saxony, as the future King and Queen, naturally take a prominent place in the Dresden Court society, and are both very popular. The Princess, who was brought up in the midst of a merry party of brothers and sisters, has brought a great deal of life and gaiety to the Dresden Court, and charms every one by her pleasant, lively ways, and the interest she takes in everything. She is an excellent wife and mother, and, much as she loves pleasure and gaiety, nothing is suffered to interfere with her home PRINCE GEORG OF SAXONY AND PRINCE 244 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe duties. Her three sons are fine healthy children, and are naturally a great joy to their parents. The remaining Princesses of the Royal House, the Princess Mathilde and the Princess Johann Georg of Saxony, are also very much liked, and harmonise very well with the other members of the Saxon Royal Family. The King of Saxony possesses a number of charming residences, the Royal Schloss at Dresden being a veritable museum of art-treasures, collected by the ancestors of His Majesty during many generations. The first Schloss in Dresden, which was built in the twelfth century, was destroyed in 1494 and in 1518, and the ruins were converted into stables. Duke Georg of Saxony began to build the present Schloss in 1527, one tower of which still remains in the present building, as well as a gateway and a terrace of this date. The next sovereign, Duke Moritz, enlarged and beautified his residence ; and in 1592 the Elector Christian II. built the present pillared hall and the wing of the Castle which faces the terrace. The famous Hall of Giants, which was planned by Duke Moritz and finished by Johann Georg I. in the year 1627, was burnt down in 1701, and rebuilt by August II. in 1718. The Schloss is one of the most interesting Royal residences in Europe, and contains beautiful rooms, specimens of tapestry, and other objects of art, as well as a picture- gallery and collections of sculpture and china. The throne-room and banqueting-hall were decorated with beautiful frescoes by Bendemann in 18465. The favourite residence of the Queen is the Villa Strehlen, a delightful though by no means large house, situated about two miles from Dresden, which is sur- rounded by beautiful grounds. The Villa is extremely pretty, 1s most artistically furnished, and contains all the ‘Ndasaud ‘SSOTHOS IVAOU AHL 246 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope most cherished possessions of the Queen, who looks upon it as her dearest home, as here she is surrounded by souvenirs and portraits of all those whom she loves, and is also near enough to the capital to pay frequent visits to the institutions in which she takes an interest. The King and Queen spend a great deal of their time at the Villa Strehlen, where they generally go for the autumn, remain- ing there until January, when they return to Dresden for the great New Year’s Court festivities. Two other favourite residences of Their Majesties are the Castles of Pillnitz and Sibyllenort, where they spend a part of each year. At Sibyllenort they have the Hereditary Prince and Princess of Saxe-Meiningen as their near neighbours, and frequent visits are interchanged. Sibyllenort, which formerly belonged to Duke Wilhelm of Brunswick, was left by him to the King of Saxony. It is a beautiful place, with a large deer-park, good preserves, and a brewery, the Castle containing a valuable library and picture-gallery. Pillnitz les only five miles from Dresden, on the right bank of the river Elbe, and was bought by the Elector Johann Georg IV. of Saxony, from one Herr Heinrich von Bunau, in the year 1693. Close to Pillnitz is the Kepp Schloss, which belongs to the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and which is the favourite summer residence of the Grand Duchess, ne Princess of Great Britain and Ireland. Her Royal Highness, who is an intimate friend of the Queen of Saxony, is a frequent visitor of Their Majesties during the summer months. Last year (1898) there were great rejoicings through- out Saxony, as the King celebrated the Silver Jubilee of his reign and on April 23rd completed his seventieth The Queen of Sarony 247 year. The enthusiasm shown by the populace was a sure sign of the deep affection with which the King and Queen are regarded by their subjects, and the great hope of their people is that they may long continue to reign over them. THE QUEEN OF WURTEMBERG. X QUEEN CHARLOTTE OF WURTEMBERG, NEE PRINCESS ZU SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE O one who has had the honour of being received by the Queen of Wurtemberg can fail to be struck by the great fascination of her manner, by her beauty and graceful bearing, and also by the kindly gracious- ness with which Her Majesty receives all those whom she permits to enter her presence. She always wishes to put those ladies whom she receives in audience at their ease. Generally this takes place in the afternoon, when she chats pleasantly to her visitors, showing such an interest in their lives and in their affairs generally, that one and all leave Her Majesty perfectly charmed, having quite lost the fear that assails so many people when about to enter the presence of Royalty. With all her kindly manner, the Queen can be extremely dignified ; her bearing is majestic on public occasions, and her beauty of a type that cannot fail to impress those who see her with a feeling of deep respect. Queen Charlotte is considered by many people to be one of the three most beautiful Princesses in Europe, the other two being our own Princess of Wales and the Tzaritza Alexandra Feodorovna. To the Princess of Wales Her Majesty bears a certain resemblance, but more in the carriage of her head than 249 250 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe in her features. This is not to be wondered at, as she is nearly related to the Danish Royal Family, her maternal grandmother, the late Princess Friedrich of Anhalt, wée Princess of Hesse-Cassel, having been an elder sister of the late Queen of Denmark. Queen Charlotte, who is the eldest child of Prince Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe by his marriage with the Princess Bathildis of Anhalt (a younger sister of the Grand Duchess of Luxemburg), was born on October roth, 1864, at Ratiboritz, one of the Bohemian residences of her father. Ratiboritz is a most delightful place, and it is there that the Prince and Princess Wilhelm zu Schaumburg- Lippe spend the greater part of the summer, nothing giving them greater happiness than to gather round them their numerous family, all the members of which are married, and have homes of their own, except their youngest daughter, the Princess Alexandra. Their eldest daughter never fails to visit her old home every year, when she delights in leading the simplest of lives, and in forgetting, for the time, that she is a Queen. Queen Charlotte pays very special attention to all the questions of the day, and more especially to the woman question, which is at present agitating Germany. Her feelings are entirely in favour of the higher education of women, but her special interest is in the efforts that are being made to render the life of the working woman easier and her wages higher. At the Women’s Congress held in Stuttgart, which commenced on November ist, 1897, Her Majesty sent an official to welcome the ladies to her capital, and she made a point of being present at a number of the meetings, when she listened with the greatest attention Queen Charlotte of Wurtemberg 251 to the speeches made. She, how- ever, showed still more sympathy with the cause, by receiving the chief organisers of the movement at her Palace on more than one occasion, when she evinced great interest in hearing all that they could tell her. Few Royal ladies take so ac- tive an interest in iy Eig e, the welfare of 4, Ay a t h eit h um b | € PRINCESS PAULINE OF WURTEMBERG, ONLY CHILD sisters as th ¢ OF THE KING. (vow THE HEREDITARY PRINCESS Queen of Wutr- eu ae) temberg ; and I have been told that the fact that masses of women live in a state of miserable slavery was brought before her notice by the Duchess Paulina of Wurtemberg, a sister-in-law of the Duchess Vera. The Duchess Paulina, who is married morganatically to a doctor, has naturally been enabled to learn the seamy side of things. Her Royal Highness, who devotes her life to ministering to the poor, was married, when twenty- six years of age, to a Dr. Willim, a young medical man who had attended her mother during a serious illness. Naturally great opposition was made to the union by the relations of the Princess, but she gained her point 252 The Sovereign Dadies of Lurope in the end, and gave up her rank and position as a member of a Royal House in order to marry the man of her choice. She has two children, who are said to be unusually talented. The Queen, as well as taking a great interest in all the questions of the day, is quite at home in art and literature, and is fond of knowing all that is going on in the world. She easily grasps a new idea, and is capable of discovering what is good and useful, and discarding things that are unpractical. She has also the power of easily discovering the good points in people, and is very rarely wrong in the estimate she forms of the character of those around her, though she is naturally reserved in speaking her opinion of persons. No one is without sorrow in life, and Queen Charlotte has also had her trials of various kinds, which might have spoilt a less noble nature, but which in her case have only served to make her more unselfish and more anxious to help others. The present King, William II. of Wiurtemberg, was first married to the Princess Marie of Waldeck and Pyrmont, an elder sister of the Duchess of Albany, to whom he was devotedly attached. She died after five years of happy married life on April 30th, 1882, leaving him an only child, the Princess Pauline, a second child, a son, having died in infancy. The King, then Prince Wilhelm of Wurtemberg, was quite heart- broken at his wife’s death, and it was only at the wish of the late King Carl, who was childless, that he consented, four years later, to marry again. The Salic law holds good throughout Germany, and therefore the Princess Pauline cannot succeed her father as Queen of Wurtemberg, which is naturally a great sorrow to him. With His Majesty dies out, in the male line, THE KING OF WURTEMBERG. 254 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe his branch of the Wiirtemberg reigning family, in con- sequence of which the Catholic Ducal branch of the house must succeed, as all the Protestant lines will have died out or have left no heirs to succeed them. DUKE ALBRECHT OF WURTEMBERG, HEIR TO THE THRONE, Had the father of the Duke of Teck married in his own station of life, the Duke would now be heir to the king- dom of Wurtem- berg and his son after him. But the late Duke Alexander of Wurtemberg — re- signed all his pretensions to the succession in crder to marry the Countess Claudine von Rhédey, with whom he led a very happy life, and by whom he had one son (the present Duke of Teck) and two daughters, both of whom are dead. It is a curious fact that neither the late nor the present King of Wurtemberg should leave a son to succeed, for formerly there was no lack of heirs to the House, which had continued in an unbroken line since Count Ulrich I. Queen Charlotte of Wurtemberg 255 of Wiirtemberg, who reigned from 1241 to 1265. The founder of the family was one Konrad von Wirtemberg. Wirtemberg, which is now known as Rothenberg, lies in the Neckar district of the kingdom. The — betrothal of the heir to the kingdom of Wur- temberg to the Princess Charlotte zu Schaumburg- Lippe was cele- brated at the Castle of Nachod, in Bohemia, - on January 11th, 1886, the Princess being, at the time, twenty-two years of age, and in the perfection of her youth and beauty. Some three months later the Prince and Prin- cess were married “on April 8th at Buckeburg, the capital of the princi- pality of Schaumburg-Lippe. The Princess made a beautiful bride, and many people still speak of the sweet seriousness of her expression during the ceremony, and the deep emotion she showed when parting from her parents. Her home life had been extremely happy, and it was no wonder that she felt the separation from her a THE DUCHESS ALBRECHT OF WURTEMBERG, NEE ARCHDUCHESS OF AUSTRIA. 256 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe parents and brother and sisters, and all that had made her contented in the years of her girlhood. It was not until the year 1891 that Prince Wilhelm succeeded to the throne of Wutrtemberg, and Queen Charlotte took her place by his side as one of the Sovereign Ladies of Europe. Until that time she had found plenty to occupy herself with in her new home, and in the late Queen Olga, a Russian Princess, she had found a most kind and sympathetic friend. There was, at that time, a large Court circle at Stuttgart, which has, however, of late years become much smaller, as the young Princesses have married and left for homes of their own. ‘The widowed Duchess Vera of Wirtem- berg, a younger sister of the Queen of Greece, has her principal home at Stuttgart. Here she brought up her twin daughters, the Duchesses Elsa and Olga, who are now respectively married to the Princes Albrecht and Max zu Schaumburg-Lippe, two of the brothers of Queen Charlotte—marriages which gave Her Majesty great satisfaction. The marriage of the only surviving child of the King, the Princess Pauline of Wurtemberg, to the Hereditary Prince zu Wied took place in 1898, so that now there are no young Princesses to make the Court cheerful, as was the case a few years ago. The engagement of the Princess Pauline was the out- come of pure affection on both sides; and though Her Royal Highness might have made a much more brilliant alliance, the King was very pleased to think that his daughter was able to marry the man she loved. It was also a great satisfaction to him to know that she was entering so charming a family as that of the House of Wied. Both the King and Queen miss the Princess Pauline very sorely, for she was the life of the Royal “LUVOLLALS LY ADVIVd TVAOU FHL 17 258 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope circle, and the constant companion of her father in his rides and walks. During the year 1898 there were two deaths in the Royal Family. The beloved mother of the King, the Princess Katherine of Wiurtemberg, and her sister, the Princess Hermann of Saxe-Weimar, passed away within a few days of each other, to the deep sorrow of all their relations. In consequence the Court was in mourning for more than a year, and during 1899 there was no gaiety. The visit of the Duchess of Albany and her daughter, the Princess Alice, was an exceedingly great pleasure to the King and Queen, and caused them to feel their sad loss and the absence of the Princess Pauline less than they would otherwise have done. The Princess Alice, who received instruction from her cousin’s old governess, delighted every one, and became a great favourite with the King, who is very fond of young people. The Duchess has always been a favourite with the King, for she reminds him very strongly of her sister, his first wife, to whom he was so deeply devoted. The younger sisters of Queen Charlotte formerly spent a good deal of time at Stuttgart, but of all of them there is only the Princess Alexandra left who is un- married. The Princess Bathildis is the wife of the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, the brother of the Duchess of Albany ; whilst the Princess Adelheid is married to Prince Ernst of Saxe-Altenburg, the heir to the Duchy. With her energetic nature, the Queen is naturally fond of every kind of exercise, and as a girl she excelled in dancing. Her father, Prince Wilhelm zu Schaumburg- Lippe, although he is over sixty years of age, still dances as lightly as a young man, and will often waltz with his daughters during evenings when he has a large family Queen Charlotte of Wurtemberg 259 party round him. The Queen finds time in winter, amongst her manifold engagements, to indulge in her favourite pastime of skating, a sport in which she was often joined by her brothers, when they were at Stuttgart, and by the other young Princes and Princesses. Her Majesty prefers to skate almost unattended, gene- rally with only one lady and gentleman of the Court, and in this way she often escapes recognition. She is an extremely graceful and accomplished skater, and it is a great pleasure to watch her, evident as her delight in the exercise is. Her skating-costumes are always very pretty and practical. The Queen, like so many other Royal ladies, is a cyclist, having learnt the art during the winter of 1897, when there was very little frost, and she could not have any skating. Her Majesty, with the King and the Princess Pauline, devoted a great deal of time to learning to ride, and was so delighted with the exercise that His Majesty had a private bicycle-track laid down for her use. She very quickly mastered the knack of balancing, and has become a most graceful rider. She finds the exercise very beneficial to her health, and naturally her example has been followed by a great number of the Stuttgart ladies. Though the Queen is so devoted to outdoor sports and pastimes, she employs a great many hours in reading and study, for since she was a child she has been particularly interested in historical research, music, and painting. She is extremely musical, and has a decided talent for painting, in this latter gift having found great sympathy from her step-daughter, the Princess Pauline, who is an artist of no mean degree. To her Queen Charlotte has been a most tender friend. She was only 260 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope nine years of age when her father married for the second time, and there is a much more cordial friendship existing between the Queen and the Princess than 1s usually seen between a step-mother and step-daughter. As long as the young Princesses were unmarried, there was plenty of amusement to be had at the Court of Stuttgart, and on more than one occasion equestrian fétes were given, when the young Princes and Princesses helped in the per- formances—the Princess Pauline, who is a magnificent horsewoman, having excited great admiration by her perfect riding. The King of Wiirtemberg possesses a large number of beautiful homes, both in the country as well as in the various towns of Wurtemberg. One of his favourite residences is at Friedrichshafen, on the Lake of Constance, which is a summer home of the Royal Family. A more charming personality than that of the Queen of Wurtemberg it would be difficult to find. She has beauty, wit, and tact; but the strongest points in her character are her genuine kindness of heart and her unselfish thoughtfulness for others. Disappointment and anxiety have not embittered her, and she goes on her way, bringing sunshine in her path, and doing all in her power to lighten the burthens of those who have the privilege of her friendship. She has been a most loving, judicious friend to her numerous brothers and sisters, and it is a great pleasure and satisfaction to her to see almost all of them so happily married. Her eldest brother, Prince Friedrich, is married to the eldest daughter of the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark ; the second, Prince Albrecht, to the Duchess Elsa of Wurtemberg; and the third, Prince Max, to the Duchess Olga of Wurtemberg. “NSUAVHSHOINGIINA LY SSOTHDS TYAOM AHL AO MIA Ect Se ee = ee nd 262 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The heir to the kingdom of Wurtemberg is Duke Albrecht, of the Catholic Ducal branch of the House, who is very popular with his future subjects, and who is married to the eldest daughter of the late Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria. He is the father of three sons and three daughters, so there seems no danger of this line dying out. The Duke was ordered in the autumn of 1898 to Potsdam, where he has a military post, so that at present the Court circle at Stuttgart is a very small one, and consists only of the King and Queen, the Duchess Vera of Wiirtemberg, the Duke and Duchess Philip of Wurtemberg, their two younger sons (who hold commissions in the Wirtemberg army), and Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar, with his youngest daughter, the Princess Olga—a very different party to the merry youthful circle of two years ago. LATEST PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN OF HOLLAND. XI WILHELMINA, QUEEN OF THE NETHER- LANDS ee the present century was. still young, a youthful Princess ascended the throne of her ancestors, and, after a reign of more than sixty years, she still rules with honour and glory over millions, and over a greater Empire than the world has hitherto known. Now that the nineteenth century draws to a close, a second Princess of tender years has taken the reins of government into her own hands, and has become the reigning Queen over a nation whose history for many hundreds of years has been interwoven with that of England. What better example can Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands have before her eyes than her sister-Queen of Great Britain and Ireland? For, in all Europe, there is no one who more thoroughly grasps the trying position of the girl-Queen, or who more fully sympathises with her, than England’s Sovereign Lady, who, more than half a century ago, entered, as a young girl, on her duties as the ruler of a mighty realm. No one can more fully understand the sorrows and trials which a great Queen must bear, and no sovereign has more deeply felt the splendid isolation that a ruler must endure. 265 266 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Queen Wilhelmina is the last direct descendant of a long race of great and noble men, and in her are centred the hopes of the Dutch nation, which still remembers, with the deepest gratitude, the part played in their history by their Queen’s ancestor, at a time when it seemed that all hope for Protestant Holland was at an end. William the Silent, Prince of Orange-Nassau, continues the hero of the Dutch nation—the hero who was the defender of their liberty against the Spanish oppressors, and who, by his personal courage, saved the Dutch Protestants from utter annihilation. The ancestral Castle of Queen Wilhelmina is still to be seen in the valley of the Lahn, not many miles from Wiesbaden, though the once splendid building is now in ruins. Schloss Dillenburg was built by Count Henry the Rich, who, in the thirteenth century, was in possession of almost all the estates and castles belonging to the House of Nassau. In the year 1240 he built the Castle of Dillenburg as a protection to the people dwelling in the neighbourhood, and his son Otto was the founder of the Line of Nassau, from which the present Queen of the Netherlands comes. Otto, on the death of his father, took the lands of Dillenburg and Dietz, and for many years the Line flourished, though now the last living representative is Queen Wilhelmina. Dillenburg was a most magnificent Schloss, splendidly furnished, and, at the time that William the Silent was in Holland, became the centre for the diplomatic world, ambassadors from Rome, Madrid, Vienna, and Copenhagen all coming there, and many were the plans made within the ancient walls to destroy the tyrannous power of the Spaniards. William the Silent resigned all his pretensions to his German possessions ; and when, in 1739, the Line Wilbelmina, Queen of the Wetherlands 267 of Nassau-Dillen- burg died out, the land fell to the Line of Nassau- Dietz. The Castle and town of Dillen- burg escaped de- struction during the Thirty Years’ War, but in the year 1760 it was destroyed by the French _ soldiers, and since that time has been in ruins. In 1872-75 a mag- nificent tower was built in memory of William the Silent ; at the same THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS (AGED 2 YEARS) WITH HER MOTHER. time a museum was erected, in which ancient relics and mementoes are kept. There is a yet more interesting memorial of the great Prince in the famous lime-tree which still stands before the principal entrance to the Castle, under which, in 1568, on April 14th, he received the Dutch Deputation. Speaking of this Castle and the lime-tree, the poet says :— “Hin ist des Schlosses alter Schimmer, Hin seiner Zinnen Herrlichkeit ; Allein die Linde griint noch immer, Sie ist geweihet und geseit 1»? The Castle of Dietz, which can also be termed an 268 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe ancestral home of the Queen, is still in an excellent state of preservation, and is now used as a prison, which seems a pity, as the rooms are magnificent, and the building might, it would seem, be made much better use of. It is seven hundred years old, and has a commanding position, standing on a rock high above the little town. The Queen has been brought up in all the traditions of her house, with the result that her education has made her patriotic, proud of her race, and determined to do all in her power to prove herself a worthy descendant of her famous ancestor. Like the German Emperor, she takes a great interest in studying the family-tree, and such study cannot fail to give many a wholesome lesson to the student. It seems a curious fact that in the present day there should be so few representatives of the famous House of Nassau, for at the beginning of the century there were no less than three lines in existence, whilst to-day the Line of Orange is represented only by Queen Wilhelmina. There is as yet no male heir in the third generation to succeed the Grand Duke of Luxemburg ; so that, should he have no grandson, that branch must also die out soon in the male line. The Queen’s path, in these days of social democracy, is by no means an easy one; and though the greater part of her subjects are devoted to her, there are dangerous elements amongst them, and very careful, judicious government is needed to hold the kingdom of Holland together. No sovereign can be said to wear an easy crown in our times, and the German Emperor made a wise remark when he said, “* The most dangerous foes of a nation are those within itself.” Reforms were necessary in every land, but in most European countries the improvements have been made Wiilbelmina, Queen of the Metherlands 269 PALACE AT THE HAGUE, SHOWING MONUMENT OF WILLIAM _THE SILENT, too quickly, with the result that many people have some- what lost their heads, and do not feel the slightest thankfulness for the concessions made to them, nor do they show any gratitude for privileges which would have rendered a former generation more than contented. The great evil in most countries is the want of touch between the classes—a want that seems to increase in many places, though in others a decided improvement can be seen. To be a Princess of Orange is for the Queen as proud a title as to be Queen of the Netherlands ; and the Dutch also look on their Sovereign with all the more pleasure because she has Orange blood in her veins, and is a descendant of that famous line. They go still further, for. they are most anxious that the Queen’s choice of a consort should be one of the Princes who is also descended from the House of Orange-Nassau. But, above all, in this respect, Her Majesty is a true woman, and makes 270 The Sovereign Dadies of Europe no promises, though it is quite expected that her choice will meet the cordial approval of her subjects. The late King William III. of the Netherlands was most fortunate in his choice of his second Queen—a choice as fortunate for his subjects as for himself. His first union had proved by no means happy, and the fault cannot be said to have been entirely that of his wife, who was the Princess Sophie of Wurtemberg—a Princess both clever and talented, but with little tact. She did not in the least understand how to manage the difficult character of her husband. Her life was most unhappy, and the two sons whose birth had given her so much pleasure both died in early manhood, so that even as a mother her life had deep sorrow. Queen Sophie died on June 3rd, 1877, and two years later the King married for his second wife the Princess Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, an elder sister of the Duchess of Albany, whose mother was a Princess of Nassau, and a sister of the present Grand Duke of Luxemburg, which fact made her a most fitting wife for the Dutch King. The Princess had seen but little of the world when she was brought as a bride to Holland ; but she soon learnt her duties as a Queen, and now there is no more dignified Royal Lady than Queen Emma of the Netherlands. She has a gracious, charming manner, and is a clever conver- sationalist, so that she has become most popular with every one. It is said that King William first wished to marry an elder sister of Queen Emma, who, however, was already in love with another Prince, and refused the offer made to her, preferring to marry the man of her choice to reigning with King William in Holland. She was eventually allowed to have her own way, and has been Wilbelmina, Queen of the Wetherlands 271 the wife of Prince Alexis of Bentheim-Steinfurth for the last eighteen years, with whom she leads a most happy life. The Princess Emma was, at the time of her marriage, only twenty-one years of age, while the King was sixty- two, so that there was a difference of no less than forty- one years between the King and Queen. From the first she thoroughly understood how to deal with the King ; for, besides being of a good-natured, kindly disposition, she is possessed of great tact and discretion, and her sweet, gentle disposition caused the King to become very much attached to her, so that the marriage proved very satisfactory, and the last years of the old King’s life were rendered happy and contented. The birth of a daughter somewhat more than eighteen months after the marriage was a great pleasure to His Majesty and his subjects, though considerable disappoint- ment was felt that the baby was not a Prince ; for though the Princess could succeed her father as Queen of the Netherlands, she could not succeed to the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, which had to be separated from the kingdom at his death, and fell to the other branch of the House of Nassau, the Salic law holding good in that country. The similarity between her position and that of Queen Victoria is to be remarked. Hanover was lost to Great Britain in the same way on Her Majesty’s accession, the Salic law also being established in that country. Queen Wilhelmina, who was born on August 31st, 1880, has been taught self-control from her earliest infancy by her wise mother, who has devoted her entire life since her daughter’s birth in training her child to worthily fill the position of a sovereign. Queen Emma has herself given a great portion of her time since her marriage to the study 272 The. Sovereign Ladies of Europe of the politics and the literary and artistic history of Holland, so that she was well able to discuss these ques- tions with her daughter and to give her a great deal of interesting information. She also very quickly mastered the difficulties of the Dutch language, and Se puenaakecemaiet fluently and correctly. The Queen was never spoilt by her mother nor allowed to think that her will was law because of her lofty position. Many children in a lowlier station of life have had a much _ less strict education THE QUEEN-REGENT OF HOLLAND. than Her (Taken at the time of her marriage.) Majesty, who has, however, learnt to thoroughly appreciate her mother’s devotion, and who feels the deepest gratitude to the parent who has made her path through life so smooth and free from care. The Queen can look back upona very happy childhood, spent in simple amusements, with the frequent companion- ship of her cousins. She had pets of all kinds: poultry, dogs, ponies, and pigeons shared her affections, and gave Wiilbelmina, Queen of the Hetberlands 208 great interest to her hours of recreation. She was also very fond of her garden, and has now a great love for flowers. The first governess of the Queen was a French lady, so that the first language that she learnt was French, which she continues to speak with fluency and with a perfect accent. When she was seven years old, her first instruc- tress left, and was succeeded by Miss Saxton- Winter, who superintended her education until she left the schoolroom, and from whom she learnt the English language, as well as her love for English literature, Miss Winter was greatly valued by the Queen and her mother, and has now gone, through the recommendation of the Princess zu Wied, to undertake the education of the two little children of the Crown Prince and Princess of Roumania. . That her governesses had not always a very easy time with the youthful Queen is certain, as Her Majesty has 18 THE LATE KING WILLIAM III, OF THE NETHERLANDS, FATHER OF QUEEN WILHELMINA, 274 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe a most determined will of her own, and also always wishes to know the reason of everything that is said or done. The story of her drawing of the map of Europe has often been told ; but as it is very characteristic of the Queen, I may be pardoned for mentioning it again. Her Majesty had been naughty at her lessons, and had been especially troublesome over her history lesson, so, to punish her, Miss Winter told her that she must draw a map of Europe. The Queen sat down to her task, and remained quietly at the table until her work was completed, when she brought it to her governess, who, to her great amusement, found that her pupil had drawn Great Britain as small as possible, while the kingdom of Holland took up the greater part of the paper. The Queen is very fond of music, and has also inherited her father’s love for art, so that it is likely that she will become a great patron of artists and musicians. Queen Emma is most popular with her daughter’s subjects. Her goodness, tact, and the manner in which she has completely identified herself with the Dutch nation, and her perfect knowledge of their language, acquired only by hours of careful study, have all combined to make her the idol of the people. The advent of the gentle Princess of Waldeck in Holland changed every- thing, and the Court became once more respected, the last years of the King’s life being rendered by her influence happy and honourable. During Queen Emma’s regency of more than eight years, the kingdom has enjoyed peace and _ prosperity, the Court has become pure, and Her Majesty, who has a keen insight of character, has known how to choose her advisers and whom to trust. No step has been taken by her without consulting her Ministers, even as regards Wilbelmina, Queen of the Wetherlands 275 private family matters; and the result has been, that Holland has never been better ruled, and the Queen has had liberty to educate her daughter in the manner she considered best. One of the first lessons the youthful Queen was taught by her mother was to have a loyal love and admiration for her country and people, and a pride in_ her ancestry. She instructed her first of all in the his- tory of the Dutch, their struggles and sufferings for their liberty and re- ligion ; and, with this lesson, she inculcated in her ~ daughter’s heart a wish to rule wisely and well over a nation which had shown itself so strong in well-doing in bygone days. Dutch is the language spoken at Court, at the wish of the two Sovereigns—Queen Wilhelmina, even as a child, having been careful to exact Dutch from her subjects when in her presence, the more so as of late years it has become very much the fashion to speak foreign languages in Dutch society. When she paid a visit to England, some three years ago, a well-known Dutch lady, who has THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS IN NATIONAL DRESS, 276 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe four little daughters, came to wait on her youthful Sovereign, who said graciously that she would like to see the children. “Naturally, your daughters speak Dutch?”’ said Her Majesty. “Oh no, Your Majesty,” said the lady, “I am sorry to say that they do not; they have been born and educated in England, and it would have been very difficult for us to have taught them their mother-tongue.” ‘That is a great pity,” said the Queen, with a most serious expression of countenance—“ that is extremely wrong. And as your children cannot speak Dutch, I do not wish to see them—at least not now. See that your children are diligent in learning their mother-tongue, and then it will be a great pleasure to me to make their acquaintance.” Anecdotes of this kind give the Dutch great pleasure, and they are never tired of relating stories about their Queen, especially when, as in this case, they illustrate her love for her country and its language. Certainly one of the strongest characteristics of the Queen is love for her fatherland, a trait that has been fostered by her mother ; and, young as she is, her loyalty to her subjects makes her wish to render any sacrifice in her power-to please them. Dutch history has always been her favourite study, and she is ambitious for her country, and anxious that her reign should bring her people happiness and prosperity. Queen Wilhelmina has great qualities of head and heart ; but she is by no means faultless, and the deter- mination that she shows might, had she not been most carefully trained, have developed into obstinacy. As a child she was self-opinionated ; and though she has a ‘NOONIMAMHIS LV ADVIVd TVAOU AHL 278 The Sovereign Dadies of Europe sweet temper and a most generous nature, her teachers had by no means an easy time with her. Noble and upright, her perception is almost too clear for so young a girl, and she was often able to prove those in authority in the wrong, for she is gifted with the power of seeing the weak point in every one’s armour. With her mother she is a most loving, affectionate child, full of gratitude and respect ; but to all others she is the Sovereign, and will brook no contradiction. The childhood of the Queen was made as happy as possible by her mother, who, in her playtime, provided her with every possible amusement; but her hours of work were taken with great seriousness, the Queen herself quite recognising how necessary this was. As years went on, the studies of the Queen became of a deeper nature, and little by little she was initiated into the art of governing a nation and taking her part in the great Court fetes. From her infancy she was royal in her demeanour, never having known what it was to be shy, and having been always accustomed to appear in public and receive the homage of her future subjects. Since her accession in 1898 Queen Wilhelmina has as yet appeared but seldom out of her own dominions. One of the rare occasions on which she was present at a foreign Court ceremonial was at the marriage of her cousin and dear friend the Princess Pauline of Wurtem- berg to the Hereditary Prince zu Wied, who is also a near relation of the Dutch Queen. At Stuttgart she was greatly admired on account of her perfect self-possession and graceful manners, and no less for her intelligent conversation and her charmingly girlish appearance. The part Her Majesty had to play at the marriage of Wiilbelmina, Queen of the Metherlands 279 her cousin was by no means an easy one, as she appeared at her uncle’s Court for the first time as a reigning Queen and amongst a number of unknown people, who were presented to her for the first time. Moreover, more than one pretender to her hand was present at the wedding, and naturally every one was on the qui-vive to see if Her Majesty showed any Prince particular favour. Through- out her entire visit she maintained her equable, serene demeanour; and her stately, though simple manner, combined with her charming girlish grace, won the admiration and respect of all those who were present. The Queen was always suitably dressed, and with great taste, generally in white. Her great likeness to the early portraits of her father was very much remarked. The late King William III. of the Netherlands was, in his youth, a most handsome man, with refined features, and much the same expression as his daughter now has. The most difficult question that has been put before Queen Wilhelmina, and which may be solved any day, is the question of her marriage. On this point she has remained firm, protesting that she reserves for herself the right of choosing her own husband. The Dutch are most anxious that the Prince Consort of their Queen should have in his veins the blood of the House of Orange, and the marriageable Princes who have this qualification are not many in number. The Princes who are descended from the House of Orange are: the Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar ; his brother, Prince Bernhard Heinrich of Saxe-Weimar (whose grandmother, the late Grand Duchess, was sister of the late King of the Netherlands); the sons of Princess Heinrich VII. of Reuss (whose mother was the Grand Duchess of Saxe-Weimar) ; the sons of Prince Albrecht 280 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe of Prussia; the sons of the Prince and Princess zu Wied 5 and, lastly, the sons of the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark,—all of whom are descended from Dutch Princesses. It will undoubtedly be a great relief when the Queen finally decides who is to be her choice ; but she is young, and her mother is not at all in favour of her. marrying too early, especially as she has only, as yet, reigned for one year, and must first get used to her position as a reigning Queen before she undertakes the duties of a wife. Queen Wilhelmina, like our own Queen, is devoted to her soldiers, and a review of her troops gives her great pleasure, especially if she is able to appear mounted on the field. During the last two years Her Majesty has on several occasions been present on horseback at an inspection of the Dutch troops, when her appearance has produced the greatest enthusiasm amongst the soldiers and the lookers-on. She is a most accomplished horse- woman, and from her earliest years has ridden nearly every day, so that she does not know what fear is, and never looks better than when mounted. She is also a capital whip, and drives her ponies with grace and skill ; in fact, she is an adept at all outdoor sports, as well as being highly accomplished. Since her coronation the Queen has excited universal admiration by her queenly bearing and great dignity of manner. She is short in stature, with a pretty girlish figure, fair complexion, bright intelligent blue eyes, and a most charming smile when she speaks. Her manner, while stately, is at the same time modest, and those who have had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty are enthusiastic in their praise of her. ‘OOT 44H LV FOVIVd IVWAOU AHL ia ps ran 282 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe One of the trials that came to her on her accession to the throne was that, having become reigning Queen, she must, according to the Dutch Court etiquette, in- habit a separate palace from that of her mother—a real grief to her; but she hopes to make the separation less felt by a frequent interchange of visits; and when she goes for a holiday, the old familiar happy life is once more enjoyed. Nothing can, however, be quite the same again, to the great grief of both mother and daughter. ‘Ons Willemintje,” as her subjects call her, is idolised in Holland, her love for her people, and even her occasional petulance, pleasing them. The Dutch are very loyal in their love for the House of Orange ; they condone many faults in the predecessors of their present Queen, and would forgive her also, should she not do exactly what they considered right. The Queen, on her coronation, gave great pleasure to the nation by declaring that she wished for no presents from her people, but that she hoped that her eighteenth birthday would be celebrated by her rich subjects bestowing on the poor of Holland the money that they intended to have spent in presents on her. This declaration naturally caused great enthusiasm amongst the people, and increased her already great popularity. One present received by Her Majesty is worth a de- scription. It was from the Sultan of Kutei, and consisted of a diadem, made in the Buddhist style, of massive gold and diamonds, and was encased in a beautiful casket lined with red velvet and orange silk. During the recent Congress held in the Hague at the wish of the Tzar, the Queen charmed and surprised every one by her simple, dignified manner, and the great intelli- gence of her conversation. When it is considered how Wilbelmina, Queen of the Hetherlands 283 young Her Majesty is (she only completed her nineteenth year on August 31st, 1899), it is wonderful how thoroughly well she understands the duties and responsibilities of her position. She was greatly interested in the progress of the debates, and particularly anxious to hear about the work that has been done and is being accomplished by the energy of women. Many of the ladies who are leaders of the movement were at the Hague at the time, notably the Baroness von Suttner, who is at the head of the Vienna Peace Society. At the commencement of the Congress Her Majesty received the Order of St. Catherine, set in brilliants, from the. Tzar, which was brought to her by Monsieur de Staal. It will be remembered that she is nearly related to the Russian Imperial House, her grandmother having been a Russian Princess and the daughter of the Tzar Paul, so that she is the great-granddaughter of an Emperor of Russia. When receiving the delegates sent to the Congress, Queen Wilhelmina and her mother held separate Courts, and it was remarked that the former made a point of speaking to each one who was presented to her in his or her own language. She was most sympathetic and gracious to all, and seemed instinctively to know how to make her guests feel happy and at ease. It seems fitting that, at the commencement of her reign, this great International Peace Congress should have taken place in her dominions, and that the youngest reigning Sovereign in Europe should have given her hospitality to those who are doing their best to save the world from the horrors of war and from those terrible evils that come in its train. Though the Queen is highly intellectual, and takes a 284 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe keen interest in both art and science and in all the questions of the day, she is by no means a blue-stocking, and finds a great pleasure in all outdoor amusements. She is particularly fond of riding and driving, these having been her favourite pursuits since her early child- hood. She has a very graceful seat on horseback, and never looks better than when mounted, so that it is a pleasure to see her pretty, animated face as she rides past with her attendants, looking the picture of health and happiness. Now, however, that she is a reigning Queen, her time is much more fully occupied, and she has been obliged to give up many of her former pursuits, as her State duties leave her less leisure. The holiday Her Majesty enjoyed with her mother in Badenweiler in the spring of 1899 was a great refreshment to her, and also very necessary after the arduous life that has been hers since she ascended the throne on completing her eighteenth year. When taking her holiday, she leads as simple a life as possible, and most thoroughly revels in the days she spends free from the trammels of Court and State, much as she undoubtedly values her position as a Sovereign. She goes for long excursions with her attendants, talks to the peasants she meets on her way, and for a few weeks leads the happy, unrestrained life of an ordinary girl, so that she returns to her duties at home thoroughly refreshed, and able to resume her position with renewed vigour. The happy intercourse that exists between mother and daughter is a great comfort to both, and Queen Wilhelmina has the most implicit confidence in her mother’s judg- ment, her subjects also regarding Queen Emma with both respect and love. Her Majesty is no less wise than good, and her kindness of heart is proverbial. She has one UWlilbelmina, Queen of the WMetherlands 285 little weakness, in that she is inordinately fond of sweets. Beautiful donbonnieres lie on the tables in every room in her palace, and are each day filled with delicious sweet- meats. Her Majesty never likes to be in a room where she cannot, if she wishes it, help herself to a chocolate or some other favourite sweet. I hear that her daughter has not inherited this taste to so great an extent, though, like all young people, she is also fond of sweet things. Queen Wilhelmina has, how- ever, the kind heart of her mother, and her thoughtfulness for others was observable at a very early age. She is always careful to acknowledge the salute of every one whom she meets, and she will even turn round and bow if she thinks that some- body has been overlooked. She is thoughtful for her attendants, and has many excellent plans that she is anxious to carry out for the benefit of her poorer THE QUEEN OF HOLLAND. subjects. Almost all the dresses worn by the young Queen of Holland are made in Paris ; but though the material is almost always costly, her costumes, before she came to the throne, never cost more than from a hundred to a hundred and twenty gulden—in English money, from £8 135. to £9 45. The gowns worn by her are generally white or very light colours in summer ; but the materials are often somewhat too heavy for so youthful a sovereign, and though she always dresses in excellent taste, her style is a little too old for her extreme youth. 286 The Soveretgn Ladies of Europe Queen Wilhelmina prefers to speak French when she has guests; and on a certain occasion, when the German Emperor visited the Dutch Court, Her Majesty thought well to conduct the conversation in French, to his con- siderable amusement, as he knew that she had a perfect knowledge of the German language. ‘“ Why do you not speak German ?”” said the Kaiser. “Because I prefer French,” was the answer he received; and Queen Wilhelmina continued the conversation in that language. One reason why the Queen speaks French when she receives Royal visitors is that she knows her subjects have a decided prejudice against Germany, though of late years the feeling has become much less strong. She, however, owes a great deal of her popularity to her sympathy with all Dutch prejudices. When Her Majesty was a very little child, she received a great shock when driving through the streets of Amster- dam from the station to the Palace. As is well known, the Dutch capital is a great seat of Socialism. A mob collected, rude and angry things were said to the Queen- Regent, and one rufhan, seizing a huge cauliflower, flung it at the Royal carriage. The vegetable crashed through the window, and grazed the face of the child-Queen, who was so frightened that she was in a nervous state for many weeks. For many years she dreaded to pay her annual visit to her capital. Her judicious mother had, however, brought her daughter up to be brave, with a strong sense of duty. Her good training stood her in good stead, so that she was able to conquer her fears and show herself calm and collected when she drove again through Amsterdam, in spite of inward fears. Both Queens are very courageous, and both are able Wiilbelmina, Queen of the Wetherlands 287 to exercise great self-control when necessary. To be brave and show no fear was one of the first lessons taught by Queen Emma to her little daughter. “A Queen must show no fear,” she often said to her. The lesson has borne good fruit. The palaces belonging to the Dutch Royal Family are very numerous and beautiful, the favourite residences of the Queen and her mother being the Chateau de Loo and the Chateau de Soestjdik. The Royal Palace at Amsterdam is not so often visited by them, though a short time is spent there every year by the Court. The Chateau de Loo stands in the midst of forests and heaths, and is surrounded by most delightful gardens, with shady walks and beautiful fountains. The house, which is of a respectable antiquity, is quite modern as regards its internal arrangements, the entrance-hall re- minding one of a large English country house. It is used as a family sitting-room, and is most comfortable in its appearance. A great quantity of the beautiful plate that belonged to William II. of England is kept at Loo, where there is a very fine collection of paintings. The Huis ten Bosch, in which the sittings of the late Peace Congress were held, is one of the most interesting of the many beautiful Dutch Royal residences. It contains a number of beautiful rooms, decorated with frescoes, and some most valuable old furniture. Queen Wilhelmina is very fond of this house, and in winter often skates on a small lake in the grounds. She is a very graceful skater, and takes a great interest in the Dutch skating contests, at which she is often present, and for which she has on many occasions given prizes. Queen Wilhelmina is young, but adapted by her bringing up for the lofty position that she has been called 288 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe upon to fill. Her character, although she has actually only reigned for a little more than a year, has been plainly shown on many occasions; that she has courage, determination, and great generosity has been seen, and she also shows herself on public occasions a thorough Queen, with a wonderfully self-possessed manner for her age. The Dutch can, with such a Sovereign at their head, look forward with confidence to the future, and feel that the noble attributes of their hero, William the Silent, have not been lost, but have come again in the person of their youthful Queen, at a period of European history when good and noble men and women are absolutely necessary, if a state is to hold its own. ae THE QUEEN OF SWEDEN. XII QUEEN SOPHIE OF NORWAY AND SWEDEN, NEE PRINCESS OF NASSAU N the beautiful park of the Palace of Monrepos, the home of the Princes zu Wied, in the Rhine district, there stands an oak, on which, in huge letters, is carved the anseription, “O> 18562 5." It was by the side of this tree, in the midst of this secluded glade, that on September 26th, 1856, the Princess Sophie Wilhelmina Mariana Henrietta of Nassau plighted her troth to Prince Oscar of Sweden, Duke of Oestergoetland, the second son of the late King Oscar I., who was at that time travelling in Germany as Count Rosendal. The Princess Sophie, who was the youngest daughter of the late Duke Wilhelm of Nassau by his second marriage with the Princess Pauline of Wiuirtemberg, was born in the Schloss at Biebrich-on-the-Rhine, in the Duchy of Nassau, on July gth, 1836. Her father died when she was only three years old, and she, with her sisters, was brought up under her mother’s care at the Palace in Wiesbaden, occupied by her grandmother, the Dowager-Duchess of Nassau. At the time of Duke Wilhelm’s death in 1839, only one of his children was married—namely, his eldest daughter by his first 291 292 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope marriage, the Prin- cess Thérése, who was the wife of Duke Peter of Oldenburg, and who resided in Russia. In 1842 the second eldest Princess of Nassau was married to the Prince zu Wied, so that only the Princess Sophie and her elder sister, the Princess Hélene (who later married the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and be- came the mother PARK OF MONREPOS, SHOWING INSCRIPTION on GHEE eo! 1806, SP of the Duchess of Albany and her sisters and brother), were left at home under their mother’s care. The Princess Hélene was the senior of the Princess Sophie by five years, their brother Prince Nicholas of Nassau coming between them; but, in spite of the difference in their ages, they were great companions, and led a most pleasant life in their beautiful Wiesbaden home. In those days Wiesbaden was very different to what it is now, and in many respects it was pleasanter, because so much smaller, and because every one knew every one else. There was the intimate Court circle, and also the Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 293 circle privileged to attend the formal Court entertain- ments, but which was not admitted to the small and intimate festivities. The Duchess Pauline of Nassau was very fond of the English nation, and, when her daughters were young, she liked them to know young English people, and any one who had an introduction to Her Highness was certain of a cordial reception. It was also a custom of the Duchess to be present at some of the Kurhaus entertainments, and life was in every respect more simple than now. ‘To-day the residents of Wiesbaden are rarely seen at the meetings that were so pleasant in those old days, when the town was so much smaller, and when the Duchess and her daughters made a delightful circle, to which it was the ambition of every one to gain admittance. In this manner the young Princesses learnt to understand English thoroughly, and they also made friendships that have lasted a lifetime. Wiesbaden society was like a large family party in those days. Without the necessary credentials it was impossible to enter the charmed circle; but with them everything was made easy to the new-comer, and the weeks could be passed in the pleasantest manner. The education of the Princess Sophie was entrusted to Fraulein Hessel, who directed her studies, engaged pro- fessors for her, and who proved herself an excellent instructress. The Princess showed a special aptitude for the study of history and languages, and had no difficulty in learning a new language. She was a first-rate linguist, and her good musical ear made it very easy for her to be able to speak a foreign language at once with a correct accent. From her earliest childhood she showed a great talent 294 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe for music, and took an ardent pleasure in her lessons, which she had from Professor H. Ehrlich and Anton Rubinstein. Had she been born in a lowlier rank of life, she might have made herself a great name as a famous pianist. The numerous duties that her lofty position brought with it prevented her from giving as much time as she would have wished to her favourite art. The youth of the Princess Sophie was passed very happily in quiet study—the winter at Wiesbaden, and the summer generally in Biebrich. The marriage ‘of her sister, the Princess Hélene, was naturally a trial to her, as she lost her companionship just when she had reached an age at which she most wished to have her with her. The Princess Héléne married the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont on September 26th, 1853, when the Princess Sophie was seventeen years of age. The daughters of the late Princess of Waldeck are well known, being the Queen-Mother of the Netherlands, our Duchess of Albany, the Princess Bentheim, and the youngest the Princess Elizabeth of Waldeck, who is betrothed to the hereditary Count of Erbach-Schonberg (1899). In order that the Princess might not feel too dull after her sister’s marriage, she was taken by her mother the following winter to St. Petersburg on a visit to her aunt, the Grand Duchess Héléne of Russia, née Princess of Wurtemberg, who was a lady of the highest culture, and whose salon was the meeting-place of all those most prominent in literature, art, science, and politics. The life at the Russian capital was a great change to the young Princess, and, with her keen intellect, she took the greatest interest in all she saw, and made SWEDEN, THE KING OF 296 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe excellent use of her opportunities, being able to listen to the clever conversation of those she met in_ her aunt’s drawing-room and to join in on those subjects which especially interested her. The newness of the life and the various people she met had a great charm for her, and she returned home with many fresh ideas. Three years later she experienced her first great sorrow in the loss of her mother, who died on July 7th, 1856, aged only forty-six. The death of the Duchess Pauline was a great shock to her daughter, who had always been with her, and who, now that all her sisters were married, was left quite alone. For some time after her mother’s decease she made her home with her half- sister, the Princess zu Wied, of whom she had always been very fond, and whose vicinity had made intercourse with her more frequent than was possible with her other sisters. A portrait was painted of her about this time, which represents her as a beautiful girl, with regular features and an open, pleasant expression, ‘The eyes are well apart, the brows arched, and dandeaux of luxuriant hair do not hide the broad intellectual forehead. About her neck, which is round and very beautiful, is a string of pearls; her mouth is piquant, with full red lips. The Princess was at this time extremely pretty and a most charming com- panion, so that it was no wonder that the young Swedish Prince should have completely lost his heart to her. Prince Oscar had not been long in Neuwied, where he constantly met the charming Princess Sophie with her sister and brother-in-law, when he suddenly announced his urgent recall to Stockholm. He hurried off with no other purpose in view than to see the King, his father, and beg his permission to make an offer of marriage to Queen Sophie of Torway and Sweden 297 the Princess Sophie, who had appealed to him, as an admirer of female grace and beauty, in a very strong manner, On arriving at Stockholm, he went immediately to his father, and found no difficulty in obtaining his consent. His mother also, Queen Josephine, a Princess of Leuchtenberg, was delighted at the idea of welcoming so charming a daughter-in-law, as she had heard of her many good qualities from her Russian relations. King Oscar I. was both a musician and gifted with literary tastes, and he fully sympathised in the choice made by his second son. His eldest son, the late King Carl XV., had then been married for six years to the Princess Louise of Orange, the eldest daughter of the late Prince Frederick ‘of the Netherlands by his marriage with the Princess Louise of Prussia, a sister of Kaiser Wilhelm I. As he had a daughter only, who is now the Crown Princess of Denmark, the marriage of the younger Prince was greatly wished, and his parents were most thankful that he had found, in the Princess Sophie of Nassau, a woman whom he could both love and respect. Prince Oscar hurried back to Neuwied as quickly as possible to make his request. He received a favourable answer, so that it was possible to celebrate the betrothal on September 26th privately, though it was not made public in Nassau until the following October 8th, when the news was received with satisfaction, both in that country and in the home of the bridegroom. The fact that the engagement was the result of pure affection enlisted the sympathies of the people, who are always ready to welcome genuine sentiment. In Sweden and Norway the daughter of the great House of Protestant Nassau could not fail to find a hearty welcome from the population. 298 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Here is the fac-simile of a little poem addressed by Prince Oscar to his betrothed at that time :— aI ea a yp neha Ze are ee Lh. glade al dactden Aetlan. Me plariand want oho Alomneng, dan. si neae ce a Alaa ae: Fe etic Gils Mitt mal for hoaye tack, i ney. hubiele dyslbart dfette eee han yeg Lankt ocd: tint octe hypfert! OL eee ff CZ ETS Sa 2 FAC-SIMILE OF POEM ADDRESSED BY PRINCE OSCAR TO HIS BETROTHED. Great advantage, from a social point of view, was undoubtedly secured through this alliance by the bride- groom, who, by its means, allied himself to one of the oldest reigning families in Europe—a family connected with the Hohenstaufens, the direct descendants of Count Ulrich of Idstein, whose name was mighty on the banks of the Lahn as early as the twelfth century. Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 299 It may be that one of the traits in the Princess which especially attracted Prince Oscar was the total absence of pride of birth and long descent—that trait in her character to which the Princess Sophie owed it that her brothers and sisters used, at one time, to speak of her as “unsere demokratische Schwester”’ (“‘ our democratic sister |). The marriage was celebrated in the Rotunda of the Palace at Biebrich, on June 6th, 1857, not quite a year after the betrothal. The ceremony was performed by the Kirchenrath Dietz, and I have heard from eye- witnesses that the Princess Sophie made a lovely and at the same time a very dignified bride. She was dressed in a gown of white silk, trimmed with silver ; the bodice was outlined by a broad band of jewels, whilst the train was of purple velvet, with a border of ermine. She also wore the customary wreath of myrtle, without which a German bride is not complete. Prince Oscar was in his uniform as a Swedish admiral, and looked very handsome. There were great rejoicings at Biebrich and Wiesbaden in honour of the occasion, such as evening serenades, torchlight processions, and numerous Court festivities, given by the reigning Duke and Duchess of Nassau to celebrate the event. The Duke and Duchess of Nassau had then been married for six years. No cloud was visible to warn them that nine years later they were to lose their dominions and leave the home they loved so well. Everything seemed prosperous, and there was nothing to mar the satisfaction felt at the marriage of the Prince and Princess. Five days after their marriage the Prince and Princess Oscar of Norway and Sweden set off on their journey to their northern home, full of hope and happiness. 300 The Sovereign Ladies of LBurope Their route took them vid Cologne, Hanover, Hamburg, and Ltbeck to the port of Travemund, where they arrived on June rsth. At this port they embarked on board a Swedish man-of-war, and arrived at Stockholm on the rgth inst., the anniversary of the day (matters had so been timed) on which, in the year 1823, the father of Prince Oscar, then Crown Prince of Sweden, had landed with his bride, the Princess Josephine of Leuchten- berg. On this same day, in the year 1850, the elder brother of Prince Oscar, Prince Carl, had also ar- rived at Stockholm with his bride, the young Dutch Princess. During the year of her engagement the Princess Sophie had spenta large portion of her time in studying the Swedish language, with the result that, on her journey to Stockholm with her husband, she was able to delight him with her perfect knowledge of his mother-tongue. Her aptitude for languages was so great that, during the period of her betrothal, she had made herself com- pletely mistress of Swedish, under the tuition of Professor E. M. Olde, who had been sent to Germany from Stockholm the previous year to instruct her. From her earliest years the Princess had shown her- self possessed of a keen sense of duty, and throughout her life this excellent trait has been remarked in all her doings. Conscientiousness in the fulfilment of her duties THE QUEEN’S CROWN. Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 301 is one of the most admirable of the many charming characteristics of Her Majesty. As can be imagined, her reception in her new home was a most hearty one; and a leading publicist, J. M. Crusenstolpe, writing at that time, said, “In her person an angel of comfort alighted amidst the Swedish people.” The greatest enthusiasm was shown by the population at her reception, and, since the first day on which she arrived in her adopted home, the Princess of Nassau has held the hearts of her people and been their idol. It is said by eye-witnesses who remember those days, that the ever-beautiful Stockholm had never worn a more enchanting mien than when the young bride landed from the blue waters to enter the fairyland capital, the city of a poet’s dream. The demonstrations of affection shown to her at the Palace by the King and Queen and the whole of the Royal Family assembled there to meet her were most cordial, and a heartiness was present that gave the youthful Princess the greatest pleasure, as being so different to that accorded to most Royal brides when Queen Etiquette is in the ascendant, and who, however warm the hearts may be in their manner of greeting, is so strict that she cannot be entirely effaced. It was a happy home-coming, from which all etiquette was banished, and must have greatly pleased the Princess Sophie, whose instincts were all against the stiffness that usually prevails at Courts. During the public rejoicings at Stockholm in honour of the marriage, the newly married couple resided at the Crown Prince’s Palace, a barrack-like building on the large square, opposite the King’s Palace, which 1s 302 The Sovereign Dadies of Europe known as the Gustaf-Adolf’s Torg. In King Oscar’s poems (one of the few books which has much sale in Sweden, where book-buyers are few) there is a descrip- tion of his married happiness, written about this time, which breathes the deepest affection for the young wife of whom he speaks, referring to himself in the third person, as “ Hans Nutid’s brud, hans framtids lifs prastinna.” It was also at this time that he wrote his poem ‘‘ Mon- repos,” in which he describes his first meeting with his bride, of whom he writes that she came upon him as ‘an angel, pure and good.” Much of the early married life of the Princess was spent at the country house of ‘“ Sophiero ”—so called in her honour—and here it was that she each day grew to better understand the duties of her new life, and to appreciate the many sterling qualities as well as the poet-nature of her husband. These years were amongst the happiest that the Queen has known ; and now that her health is weak and that she is often suffering, she looks back with the greatest happiness to the peaceful, joyful time she spent during those first years of her married life at Sophiero. Her Majesty’s four sons were a great source of pleasure to her, as they were all fine healthy children, and, in later years, they have quite realised the hopes of their mother. The Crown Prince Gustave was born just one year after the marriage of his parents, on June 16th, at the Castle of Drottingholm, in the year 1858; Prince Oscar, now known as Prince Bernadotte, was born on November 15th, 1859, at Stockholm ; Prince Carl on February 27th, 1861, also at Stockholm; while the youngest, Prince Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 303 Eugene, like his eldest brother, first saw the light at the Castle of Drottingholm, on August rst, 1865. It is a curious fact that there should be such a dearth of girls in the Swedish Royal Family, the only Princess PRINCE OSCAR AND HIS FAMILY. of the House being the Crown Princess ot Denmark a daughter of the late King Carl XV. The present Crown Princess of Norway and Sweden, like her mother- in-law, has three sons and no daughter. Sophiero is a beautiful house, situated on the Sound 304 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope of Helsingborg, the charms and delights of which have been set forth with full detail in a poem entitled “ In my Home,” which was written by King Oscar during this period of tranquil happiness. The following two verses, which describe the apartments of the Princess, breathe a spirit of perfect content and happiness, and, what is more seldom in life, the knowledge of happiness, with thankfulness :— ‘“‘ Har hennes eget skrifum, blomsterkladt Det badar sig sa tackt i solens glans, Ej nagon mera alsklig fristad fanns An den, hvars tréskel nu, er fot betradt. En tiackt veranda yttre muren foljer Med talt, som skuggar, men ej hafvet doljer. “Och rundt omkring ar plats for mina sma Till lek, till lasning och till mattens ro. I moderns grannskap sa de stadse bo ; Sjalf har jag nagra rum har ofvanpa. Min utsigt “(genom fénstret” re’n ni Kanner, Daruppe finns ock plats for nagra vanner.” This poem may be roughly translated as follows : “These are two favourite rooms. Here the flowers are bathed in sunshine. There is no sweeter freehold than this which she has chosen for herself. An awning covers the verandah, whence, as we rest, our eyes overlook the ocean spread beyond. And round about there is room for my children’s sports, to learn, and for the night’s repose, ever near to the mother—for such is our custom.” “Tell me,” he concludes, “ could I desire a larger house, more brilliant rooms? My bed stands peacefully under a quiet roof; my days are filled with art, science, and poetry ; and day by day I drink in rich draughts of nectar from the balmy forest airs and from the ocean’s wave.” Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 305 This was the happiest period of the Queen’s life ; and few women, in any station of life, have spent years so free from care and sorrow as she did in those early days with her husband and children. The contrast with the present is all the greater ; for during many years Her Majesty has been the victim of a most cruel disorder, which has- prevented‘ her from participating in the affairs THE QUEEN'S SALOON ON THE ROYAL YACHIT. of Court and State, but which has never, even in its most pitiless hours, been able to restrain her in those tender duties as mother, wife, and public benefactress, which she has ever performed to her own high honour, and which have won her the love and gratitude of all those who know her well. The Queen’s greatest interest has always been in her domestic matters, and it is in the character of a loving 20 306 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe wife and mother that she prefers to be known to the world. The most popular portrait of Her Majesty which exists in Sweden shows her knitting stockings for the poor and wearing large grandmotherly spectacles. She has always been the life and soul of the family circle, and from their infancy her sons were taught to love their home and find their pleasures there. There is no more united family in all Norway and Sweden than that of the Royal House. The early education of the four Princes was carried out by the Queen herself. A better or more judicious teacher could not be desired; for her great principle is, that it is an offence to warp the individuality of any one, and that every child has the right to develop according to its natural impulses, when these are for good. She has often been heard to say, ‘‘ Nobody has any right to force his views or opinions on another human being ; nobody has a right to suppress another individual’s opinions.” As they grew older, her sons were sent to the Swedish public schools, where it was expressly stipulated by their Royal parents that no difference whatever was to be made between them and their fellow-pupils. During the whole of their school career they were carefully watched over by their mother, who was in the habit of visiting them constantly. When her illness made it necessary for her to seek milder climates abroad, her sons received long letters from her daily. It is now more than twenty-six years since the Queen has been an invalid, and her sufferings have been very great, but she has borne them with the most wonderful fortitude and patience. It would seem as if the acute pain that she suffers had only served to render her noble Queen Sophie of orway and Sweden 307 nature still more perfect ; for her whole thought is for others, and for those who, like herself, are ill. Her Majesty is deeply religious, and takes an interest in all the religious questions of the day. For the Salvation Army she has great sympathy, and quite believes that a great and noble work is being carried out by the members of that force. In Sweden the Salvation Army has had immense success, owing to the support of the Queen. The second son of Her Majesty, who is morganatically married to Miss Ebba Munck, is also in favour of the movement, and himself helps with mission work, his wife holding the same views as he does on religious questions. On many occasions the Prince has addressed large meetings, and preached the doctrines of Christianity to his fellow-men. He and his wife, who is now known as the Countess Wisborg, spend their entire time in working for the poor and suffering. Queen Sophie takes the greatest interest in the work of every one who tries to improve the condition of mankind, and is ready to give her help and countenance to all those who are honest workers for good. Her ill- health has forced her to lead a secluded life, but it does not prevent her from being foremost in every good work that is done in her husband’s kingdoms. On September 18th, 1872, King Carl XV. died, and, as he left no son, was succeeded by his brother, the present King, and the Princess Sophie became Queen of Norway and Sweden. The only daughter of King Carl had, at the time of his death, been married for three years to the Crown Prince of Denmark, and his wife, the late Queen Louise, had died in the previous year. The next year the younger brother of King Oscar, Prince August, died on March 4th, leaving a 308 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe widow, the Princess Thérése, mée Princess of Saxe- Altenburg, but no children. She is still alive. King Oscar had also, at the time when he ascended the throne, an unmarried sister still living, the Princess Eugénie ; but it can be seen the Royal Family was not very numerous. It has been a great misfortune for every one that the ill-health of the Queen has prevented her from taking her place at Court, and for many years the King has been without any Princess to help him in his duties, the consequence being that there have been fewer enter- tainments than would have otherwise been the case. The marriage of the Crown Prince of Sweden to the Princess Victoria of Baden was a source of particular satisfaction to the Swedish nation, for her Royal High- ness is a direct descendant of the ancient Royal House of Sweden, and her children are therefore, through her, Princes of that house which formerly ruled where the descendants of Bernadotte are now in power. There was immense enthusiasm shown by the people at the time of the marriage, and the young Princess received the heartiest of welcomes from her husband’s relations as well as from the populace. There were great hopes that the Crown Princess would be able to take her place as the representative of the Queen, and that gayer times were in store for the youth of Stockholm and Christiania ; but, most unfortunately, the delicate constitution of the Princess was not able to stand the rigours cf the northern climate, and of late years she has been obliged, to her sincere grief, to spend every winter in the South, though she returns home for the summer months. It is a great trouble to the Crown Prince and Princess that they are obliged to pass so great a part of their time Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 3¢9 at a distance from one another, and for her it is doubly hard, as she is also separated from her children. Each summer that she returns home, it is hoped that she may be able to remain longer in the North, and of late years her health has improved very much, so that it is thought that she may eventually become quite strong. The eldest son of the Crown Prince and Princess is THE PALACE OF BIEBRICH, now (1899) in his seventeenth year, while Prince Wilhelm is fifteen and Prince Erik ten years of age. In winter the climate of Sweden and Norway is very trying to those who are not accustomed to it, but in the summer any one can stand it, and it is particularly good for delicate, anemic people. One of the last occasions on which the Queen of Sweden made a public appearance was in May, 1880, when the King announced to the nation that, on Ascension Day, he and his Queen and the Court would drive into Stockholm and make a Royal progress through the town 310 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe —‘‘just as the kings and queens do in the fairy stories, so.as to give the people a view of them in all the pomp of Royal splendour.” It was a revival of an old Swedish custom which had fallen into disuse and had not been observed for many years. The procession was a triumphant success, and gave great pleasure to the populace, which came from far and wide to the capital to see the King and Queen. Her Majesty, who has a noble type of face, looked very beautiful, gowned entirely in white, and seated in a gala carriage, drawn by six horses, with her youngest son, Prince Eugene, by her side. She had, however, gone a very little way from the Palace when a halt was called, in order to clear the carriage of flowers which had been thrown to her, and which were so numerous that the little Prince was entirely covered by them, and was in danger of being smothered. The King and the other members of the Royal Family were also received with the greatest enthusiasm, and the day passed off in the brightest manner possible. Much of the Queen’s life during the dark period of her illness has been spent abroad in various places where it was hoped that the climate might prove bene- ficial. She has resided at Nice, Capri, and many other Continental resorts ; but, of all foreign towns, she prefers Bournemouth, where she first wintered in 1881, and which she has frequently revisited. Here she made many friends, and found people who were in sympathy with her in her views of life. Amongst those with whom she was intimate at Bournemouth is Lady Cairns, who speaks of her in terms of devoted attachment. Though her sufferings have been terrible, she is often heard to say that she is thankful that they came on her, Queen Sophie of Horway and Sweden 311 as she has been taught by pain what consolation there is to be found in religion. The success of General Booth’s labours in Norway and Sweden, and the preponderating influence enjoyed in those countries by the Salvation Army, are due to the direct patronage of the Queen. Whilst at Bournemouth she was frequently to be seen at various prayer-meetings, both public and private, and took the greatest interest in all the charities of the place. The Queen is ready to receive every one who is anxious to help others, and to be present privately at meetings. But she is strict in having the necessary etiquette observed by those whose houses she honours with her presence, and on more than one occasion a too pushing hostess has been quietly but firmly made to see that Her Majesty can only be approached in the proper manner. The Queen’s devotion as a mother has already been mentioned. Under no circumstances, perhaps, did she give better proof of this than when she interceded with her husband for permission for her second son, Prince Oscar, to be married to the woman he loved, namely Ebba Munck, her favourite maid-of-honour. Although the Munck family has played a very im- portant part in the history of Sweden, the King was naturally entirely opposed to such a mésalliance. “It is Oscar’s duty to be true to himself and to his love,”’ she used to say. The King, however, knowing the world better and having a cooler judgment, refused his consent, and it seemed as if Prince Oscar would not be able, at any rate with his father’s consent, to marry the lady of his choice. There were many things against such a marriage, for Prince Oscar was the second son of the King, and the very fact that the reigning House of Norway and Sweden is one of the most youthful of the THE BALL-ROOM, Royal Houses of Europe made it all the more necessary that its scions should intermarry with the members ot the ancient reigning houses. About this time the Queen was seized with one ot her serious attacks of illness, and her state was such that at one time her lite was despaired of. Her physicians declared that the only hope of her recovery lay in an instant operation, which was both dangerous and ex- tremely painful. The Queen called the King to her bedside, and said, “ If I undergo this operation and recover, will you allow Oscar and Ebba to have their way?” The King was unable to resist such an appeal, made at such a time, and gave his promise. A short time afterwards the operation was successfully performed, and, when the Queen was convalescent, the King redeemed his promise and gave his consent to the marriage of his second son, Queen Sophie ot Worway and Sweden 313 Naturally the union was morganatic, and any children that may be born of it cannot succeed to the throne. Prince Oscar has, moreover, resigned his pretensions to the throne for himself and for his descendants. It was on Christmas Eve that the King gave his consent to the marriage. He had come to his wife’s apartments to see her, and found Ebba Munck and Prince Oscar with her. The maid-of-honour was, at the time of his entrance, singing one of his poems to Her Majesty, which, oddly enough, was on the subject of the right to love. After waiting until the song was ended, the King went up to his son, and, leading him to the girl, laid his hand in hers, in this manner signifying that he had withdrawn his opposition to their plans. The marriage has proved a most happy one. Prince Oscar has found perfect content, and has been able to follow his career as a philanthropist. The wedding took place at Bournemouth, in the presence of the Queen of Sweden, on March 15th, 1888, and for some time after it the Prince and his wife were known as Prince and Princess Bernadotte; but later the uncle of Prince Oscar, the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, gave him the title of the Count of Wisborg for himself and his descendants. -When their children were born, Prince Oscar and his wife proclaimed them as the children of Oscar and Ebba Bernadotte, and, during their entire married life, they have lived as quietly and simply as possible, and have found their greatest interest in working for the poor and suffering. They have a son and a daughter, the former, Count Carl Oscar, having been born on May 27th, 1890, and the latter, the Countess Marie, on February 28th, 1889 ; and three other children. The Queen’s life, perforce a very quiet one, is divided 314 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe between the cares of her household, her study, and her devotions. She is a great reader, and, in her private apartments, possesses a large and varied library. Her favourite book, her /ivre de chevet, is a copy of Goethe’s ‘““Tasso,” presented to her in 1861 by her husband, on the fly-leaf of which is a charming dedication in verse, written by King Oscar. She is a great reader of news- papers, and devotes several hours every day to the perusal of the leading Scandinavian, Continental, and English newspapers, for she takes the greatest interest in politics and in all the leading questions of the day. She has also a profound knowledge of the political history of Sweden and Norway, and is a diligent and constant student of all works written on the past of her country. Her thoughtful mind enables her to interest herself in many matters that are considered dull by others, and she finds an interest in everything that she considers can possibly enable her to better understand the people amongst whom she lives. During the early years of her married life her children were the greatest delight to her ; and now that she is no longer young, she finds a great joy in her grandchildren, for she often says, “ The world’s history is made in the nursery.” Her pleasantest hours are spent with her children’s children, and the young Princes and the little children of the Count and Countess de Wisborg are devoted to their grandmother. Her rooms in the Palace are known respectively as Drottningens, Matsal, Frukostrummet, Arbetsrum, Saugkammare, and Toalettrum, and afford in their simplicity a decided relief to the somewhat garish splendour of the gala-rooms, with their scarlet hangings, heavy gildings, huge mirrors, and the usual furniture that is always seen in state-rooms all over the world. Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 315 The Queen’s dressing-room is draped with a fine woollen stuff, of a light red colour, edged with white lace, and arranged in groups of stretched folds, at certain distances from each other. The bedroom is hung with dark blue of a beautiful shade, while light French wall- papers are used in the other rooms, which have a very cheerful effect, and which, without being luxurious, are THE QUEEN’S DINING-ROOM, extremely comfortable, and give the impression of a real home. At half-past nine in the morning, after the Queen has spent a precious hour in prayer and meditation, the King enters the breakfast-room (Frukostrummet), and takes his substantial Swedish breakfast in her company, when numerous family mutters are discussed during the half- hour that the meal lasts. The Queen and the King always enjoy this quiet half-hour at the commencement of the day; and, unless she is very ill, she never fails to be ready to receive her husband. Their Majesties use this time also to discuss any important news that may 316 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe | have appeared in the papers, or any political event that may be imminent. From ten o’clock until half-past two the Queen occupies herself with her books, knits stockings for the poor, or does similar charitable needlework, while one of her ladies reads the news of the day to her. Luncheon is served in the breakfast-room at half-past two, and is a simple meal, consisting of soup, one course of cold meat, and one warm dish, while the drinks are sherry and beer. Dinner, as in most northern countries, is early, and is served at six o’clock in the blue salon. It is a strictly family meal, to which only intimate friends are invited. The menu is also plain—soup, fish, an entrée, a roast, and dessert. The wines given are usually of three sorts, champagne being only served on special occasions. The warm courses are served on beautiful dishes of Sévres china, the cold meats on solid silver plate. The fruit- knives have gold blades. Coffee is always taken in the lower gallery ; and the evening is generally spent in music or in reading aloud. The Queen is very fond of hearing the King recite his poems, and she will often ask him to do so, when she listens with the greatest pleasure. She is devoted to music, and is fond of having ssirées musicales when she is well enough: her favourite singers are the Countess Taube, Fru Lilly Backstroem, Frocken Widmark, and Fru Anna Gibson. The marriage of the third son of the Queen to his cousin, the Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, was a source of great satisfaction both to the King and his wife, who had known the youthful Princess since her childhood, and who had always taken a great interest in her. There were great hopes that the advent of the Princess as a bride at the Swedish Court would bring gaiety to the ‘SOdaUNOW LY ZOVIVd AHL ge teense ieitw = ary _ 318 The Sovereign Ladies of Burope capital ; but she had a serious illness, which, during the first year of her married life, prevented her from appearing very much in public, to the great disappointment of the inhabitants of Stockholm. Both the Prince and the Princess Carl of Sweden are favourites with the people, and the Crown Princess of Sweden was also very much pleased at the marriage of her brother-in-law. The only unmarried son of the King and Queen is Prince Eugene, who is a painter by profession, and who has already exhibited in the Paris and Swedish galleries. His Royal Highness, who is most talented, has a studio at Florence, and devotes his life to the pursuit of his beloved art. In spite of the fact that for so many years there has been no Princess to undertake the duties of representation at the Courts of Norway and Sweden, they are both gay, and may be termed the most intellectual in the whole of Europe. King Oscar is both a monarch and an artist ; and though he loves art above everything, he does not suffer it to interfere with his duties as a King. He is a brilliant conversationalist, a poet, and a lover of music, and has the power of putting all those with whom he is talking at ease—a faculty that is of inestimable benefit when possessed by a sovereign. All those who have been at Stockholm have described their visits as a delight to the intellect, and a vision of what a Court can be when the head of it is a man with the talents of King Oscar. He finds one of his chief pleasures in yachting, and very happy are those who are invited to join him on his annual cruise about the Scandinavian coast. His Majesty is very musical, and possesses, amongst many other treasures, a unique collection of ancient manuscript music and early printed compositions, which Queen Sophie of Morway and Sweden 319 he is ready to show to those who are able to appreciate them. He is especially fond of sacred music, and likes to receive all musicians who come to Sweden. He-is also a keen sportsman, and plays a good game of billiards ; and all those who have been honoured by an invitation to Court have expressed themselves perfectly enchanted with their reception and with the versatile talents of His Majesty. King Oscar may often be met walking about his capital quite unattended, and he does not object to be accosted by persons who wish to speak to him. Any one can ask for an audience ; and often, amongst those who are admitted to his presence, are seen peasants and quite poor people, who have come to tell him their grievances, with the belief that their King will be able to put all right. Life in Sweden is taken very much in earnest, and all literature, music, and art are of a serious nature, and inclined to be sombre rather than light. In the summer Queen Sophie moves to Sophiero, or to one of her other country houses; but in the spring she never fails to go to her old home, and always spends several weeks on the Rhine at Honnef, where she is able to visit and receive her German relations, and where she always derives great benefit from the change and climate. In 1899 Her Majesty paid a visit to Wiesbaden, which was the source of both sorrow and pleasure to her. She went to all her old haunts, and spent a great many hours in the park at Biebrich, where she had been so happy as a girl. She visited her mother’s grave, and the charities founded by her people in former days. No old friend or servant of the House of Nassau was forgotten, and many were those who were made happy 320 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe by the gracious remembrance of them shown by her. King Oscar was with her at the time, as well as her half-sister, the Princess-Dowager zu Wied; and Kaiser Wilhelm came over during her stay, and spent an hour with her and the King. As is known, the Crown Princess of Sweden is a first cousin of the German Emperor ; for her mother, the Grand Duchess of Baden, was the only sister of the late Emperor Frederick. The Queen spends her life in working for the poor and in the cause of religion, and even when at Wiesbaden she visited prayer-meetings and spent a part of each day in this manner. Her purse opens to every appeal, and she is associated with every charitable institution of Norway and Sweden. A monument to her generosity stands in the Sophis- hemmet—a home and hospital for women, which was founded in the year 1889. She is especially interested in works in behalf of women and children, and one of her greatest interests is in the kindergartens and the homes for fallen women. She does not, however, only confine herself to giving sums of money to these charitable institutions, but her time, advice, and encouragement are all at their service. She will always be remembered by her subjects as a good and conscientious sovereign, and by those who have stood near her she will remain a reverent memory of one who has done her duty nobly in life and borne suffering and pain with courage and patience, and she will leave an example that cannot fail to help others to follow in the same path. 2iT: THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS, XII THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS, NEE ARCHDUCHESS OF AUSTRIA IKE so many other reigning houses, the Belgian Royal Family is descended from the Ducal Line of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ; the father of the present King, who was the first King of Belgium, having been Duke Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the favourite uncle of Her Majesty the Queen of England, and the favourite brother of the Duchess of Kent. Prince Leopold, who was born on December 16th, 1790, married, for his first wife, the Princess Charlotte, the only child of King George IV. of England, who died a year after her marriage, to the great grief of the English nation. In the year 1831 Prince Leopold was chosen by the Belgians as their King; he commenced his reign on July 21st of the same year, and continued to rule until his death on December roth, 1865. The year after he had been elected King he married again, choosing for his second wife the Princess Marie Louise, eldest daughter of King Louis Philippe of France, the marriage having taken place on August gth, 1832. There were three children of this union: namely, the present King Leopold II., born on April gth, 1835; the Count of Flanders, born on March 24th, 18373 and the Princess Charlotte, who was married to the Archduke 323 324 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Maximilian of Austria, later Emperor of Mexico, and who, since the assassination of her husband, has lived in a state of strict seclusion. It will be seen that the Belgian dynasty has, as yet, lasted only sixty-eight years; but although the small country of Belgium is said to contain more Socialists in proportion to its population than any other country in Europe, the people have a loyal, friendly feeling for | their Royal Family, and there seems much less chance of a serious revolution in Belgium than in many other countries that have much more conservative tendencies. The near relationship that exists between the Queen of England and the King of the Belgians has always caused Her Majesty to take an especial interest in him and his family; and had it not been for the difference of religion between the Belgian and the English Royal Families, the intercourse might have been of a still more intimate nature. The Princess Clementina of the Belgians has, on several occasions, visited England, and has always received a most hearty welcome from her cousins; and her elder sister, the Crown Princess Stéphanie of Austria, is also well known in the British Isles; but the Queen has of late years very rarely left her own dominions, preferring to pass her time between her beautiful home at Spa and the Chateau of Laeken. Less is heard of Her Majesty than of her contemporary Queens, as, on account of her health, she has of late years led a very secluded life; and as time has gone on her love of quiet has grown upon her, and she has appeared in public only when necessary. A few months ago the Queen had a most serious illness, and for several days her life was despaired of. Her youngest daughter, the Princess Clementina, had to The Queen of the Belgians 325 PALACE OF THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS AT SPA. be summoned home from the Riviera, where she was spending a few weeks on account of her health. Most happily, the good constitution of the Queen triumphed over her malady, and the danger was past, though she was left in a very weak condition; but now Her Majesty is happily in her usual state of health once more, The Queen is always happiest at Spa, her villa being a veritable palace of delight. There she is able to follow her favourite pursuits of riding and driving, her time being spent in making excursions in the neighbourhood ; for, like many other Princesses, she is devoted to the freedom that she finds in a country life. With her youngest daughter, the Princess Clementina, who has been her devoted companion since her early girlhood, the Queen undertakes long tours; and as the two Royal ladies are often almost unattended and very plainly dressed, they are generally not recognised, and have most amusing 326 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe adventures. Her Majesty is always accompanied by her pet dogs, to whom she is devoted, and her daughter is equally fond of her four-footed friends. An amusing story is related of the Queen, which happened not many months ago. When driving in the neighbourhood of Brussels, Her Majesty saw a young woman with a fine baby in her arms; by her side was a most beautiful little dog. The Queen stopped her carriage in order to examine the dog, which had taken her fancy, and expressed her great admiration, whereupon the young woman became very angry, and, holding her baby up to the Queen, said, ‘Do you find nothing worthy of admiration in my child, that you only speak of the dog?” The Queen is reported to have been much amused, and also to have said a few words in praise of the child ; but the young mother was by no means pleased. Of late years Her Majesty’s health has frequently given cause for serious anxiety, as she suffers often from bronchial attacks, and takes cold very easily, so that in the winter it is necessary for her to be very careful. She has one great comfort in the society and almost constant presence of her youngest and only unmarried daughter, the Princess Clementina, who sympathises with all her tastes and pursuits, and who, like her mother, is a splendid horse- woman. The Princess Clementina is very popular with her father’s subjects, who fully appreciate her noble, un- selfish nature, and who look upon her almost in the light of a saint. Her Royal Highness has greatly missed the society of her cousins, the daughters of the Count and Countess of Flanders, who are now both of them married, with homes of their own. The Archduchess Maria Henriette Anna of Austria was born on August 23rd, 1836, at Schonbrunn, as the The Queen of the Belgians 327 second daughter of the late Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary, by his third marriage with the Duchess Marie of Wurtemberg. Her childhood was, for the most part, spent happily in the country, where she was able to indulge in the pursuit that has remained her chief enjoyment throughout her life—that of riding—Her Imperial High- ness having been from the time she was a tiny child a fearless rider. When hardly sixteen years of age, she was betrothed to the Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium, who was her senior by only one year. She was married to him by proxy at Schonbrunn, the second ceremony having taken place at Brussels with great pomp on August 22nd, 1853, the day before her seventeenth birthday. At the time of the marriage King Leopold I. had been a widower for three years, and therefore the very youthful Crown Princess was obliged to take her place at once at the head of the Court society at Brussels, which was naturally by no means an easy position for one so young. She was, however, as clever as she was beautiful, and surprised every one by her perfect self-possession at the Court ceremonies, and by the great tact she showed in fulfilling her difficult duties. Her manner also with the ladies of her household was greatly admired, and King Leopold was completely charmed with his daughter-in-law. Both the other children of His Majesty were at this time unmarried, the Count of Flanders being only sixteen, and his sister, the Princess Charlotte, in her fourteenth year. Although the Princess was still in the schoolroom, the Crown Princess found her sister-in-law a most pleasant companion, her clever, intelligent conversation making her quite capable of becoming the valued friend of those much older than herself. This friendship, begun forty- five years ago, has lasted to the present day, and even 328 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe now the unfortunate Empress Charlotte, in her more lucid intervals, finds great pleasure in the society of the Queen. One of the things which drew them at first so closely together was the fact that both are intensely musical, and in the pursuit of their beloved art they spent many hours together. Her Imperial Majesty still finds her greatest pleasure in music, it being one of the few en- joyments left to her in her sad life. The Queen is a thorough musician, and she is also a good judge ot art in all its branches, and is her- self a clever artist. The Queen’s eldest daughter was born on February 18th, 1858, and received the names of Louise Amalie Johanna. Fifteen months later, on June 12th, 1859, a son was born to the Crown Prince and Princess, which event was greeted with the greatest joy. The Crown Princess was a most devoted mother to her children, and spent all the time possible with them, personally seeing after their comfort and happiness. This was a very happy period of the Queen’s life, and everything looked very bright in the future. Her second daughter, who is now the Crown Princess of Austria, was born on May 21st, 1864. In the following THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS. (From a photograph by the London Stereoscopic Co.) The Queen of the Belgians 329 year, on December 10th, Leopold I., the first King of the Belgians, died, and the Crown Princess took her place as the Queen by the side of her husband. She was at that time twenty-nine years of age, in the full bloom of her beauty and health, and her life was made very happy by her three little children, who were an unceasing source of delight to her. She was very popular in Bel- eium, where she had made numerous friends, who _ thoroughly appreciated her sterling character, while with her Austrian relatives she maintained affectionate inter- course. She was on excellent terms with her brother and _ sister-in-law, the latter having THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, : (From a photograph by J. Russell & Sons.) been married for eight years to the Archduke Maximilian of Austria, while the Count of Flanders was still a bachelor. The year after his accession King Leopold H. made various visits to his brother-sovereigns, and in 1866 His Majesty paid a visit to his cousin, the Queen of England, from whom he received a very hearty welcome. Queen Maria, who, as Crown Princess, had filled the 330 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe position as the leader of Belgian Court society for so many years, found her position very little altered by her father-in-law’s death, and her life continued much in the same grooves, though naturally both she and the King now enjoyed entire liberty as regards the way in which they conducted their Court. The year 1869 was destined to bring the Queen the deepest sorrow, and both she and the King were almost heart-broken when their only son was taken from them. Prince Leopold Ferdinand of Belgium was in his tenth year when he died. He was a most promising Prince, and his mother’s heart was bound up in him, so that from the day of his death she has never been the same, and has never completely recovered from the blow. It was a great misfortune both for the King and Queen and for the nation, as in Belgium the Princesses cannot succeed. The Queen’s health suffered very much from her intense grief, so that the following year was one of considerable anxiety for the King and the Royal Family. A little more than two years after the death of the Prince, the Queen’s youngest child, the Princess Clemen- tina, was born—namely, on July 30th, 1872. Though disappointment was at first felt that the infant was not a Prince, the little daughter proved a great comfort to her mother, and is now the favourite child of both parents ; by her loving solicitude she has made herself the valued companion of both. The Queen of the Belgians was a most affectionate mother, and her chief desire was to bring up her daughters as simply and quietly as possible, as she did not wish them to be spoilt by mixing too soon in the great world. The young Princesses, therefore, though allowed to have The Queen of the Belgians 331 every country pleasure, were kept as strictly as if they were in a convent, and had none of the amusements that most young girls enjoy, nor did they have much intercourse with girls of their own age. Their Royal Highnesses remained charming children and _ quite inexperienced in the ways of life. Their literature was also severely scru- tinised, and during their schoolroom days they were not allowed to go to the theatre, nor even, when older, were they per- mitted to dance at the Court balls. Their chief amuse- ment was riding, and they were also allowed to keep pets of all descrip- tions, and led a most happy, inno- cent life. The O ueen PRINCESS CLEMENTINA OF THE BELGIANS. (From a photograph by J. Russell & Sons.) hoped by her reer training to teach her daughters to despise all that is frivolous in life, and to find their pleasures in simple things. She expected that country enjoyments, especially riding, would quite make up to them for the gaiety and excitement that were forbidden. When she was only sixteen years of age, the eldest, the Princess Louise, was betrothed to her cousin, Prince 332 The Sovereign Dadies of Lurope Philip of Saxe-Coburg-Kohary, a Prince who was possessed of great riches. The marriage had been chiefly brought about by Prince Philip’s mother, the Princess Clementina of Coburg, who hoped that her son would settle down to a quiet, creditable married life with the pretty young Belgian Princess. ‘There is a twofold relationship between Prince Philip and the Belgian Royal Family: he 1s doubly a first cousin of his father-in-law, King Leopold, his mother having been a younger sister of the late Queen Louise of the Belgians, while his father was the late Prince August of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. For many years the Prince and Princess Philip of Coburg lived a most gay life, their palace in Vienna being the scene of splendid festivities ; but unfortunately the union did not turn out happily, and the King and Queen had great anxieties in connection with their eldest daughter. Two children were born of the marriage, a son and a daughter. The daughter was married in 1897 to the only brother of the German Empress, Duke Ernst Gunther of Schleswig- Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg ; while the son, Prince Leopold, holds a commission in the Austrian service. The final separation of the Prince and Princess Philip, which also took place in 1897, was a very great grief to the Queen, and she is still very anxious about her daughter, whose health gives her relations considerable uneasiness, as it is said that she has developed symptoms resembling those of her aunt, the ex-Empress of Mexico, so that it is necessary for her to remain, at present, under medical care. The tragic ending of the married life of the second daughter of the King and Queen is well known to every one. The betrothal of the Princess Stéphanie, at the age of sixteen, to the Crown Prince Rudolph of The Queen of the Belgians 333 Austria, caused great pleasure to the Queen, who was delighted with the alliance, and at the thought that her daughter would be Empress of Austria. The Meyerling tragedy came as a most terrible blow to Her Majesty, who, since that time, has never visited the home of her girlhood. These trials have naturally rendered the life of the Queen very sorrowful, and her only comfort is the presence of her youngest daughter, who is a most charm- ing companion. With the Princess Clemen- tina she passes her timein riding, driving, and making long ex- cursions by train, sometimes quite un- attended, and never PRINCESS PHILIP OF SAXE-COBURG-GOTHA, ELDEST DAUGHTER OF THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS. with a large suite. She and her youngest daughter are well known and greatly beloved in the neighbourhood of Spa and Laeken, and their kindness to the poor is proverbial. Lately the Queen has been interesting herself very much in promoting the welfare of the Jace-makers, who, since lace imitation has become so perfect, have lost so much of their employment, that a number of most skilful lace- makers are now entirely without work, and there is fear of this most interesting industry falling into decay. 334 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe Her Majesty, who is herself a great collector of lace (of which she has many beautiful, unique specimens of the most antique kinds), makes a point of buying as much of it as possible for herself and her daughters, and encourages all her friends to do the same, so as to help on the trade. She never allows any imitation lace to be used for any of her garments, and she has formed a league of the wives of the Sovereigns of Europe, which has been joined by the greater number of the Royal ladies as well as by numerous Princesses of the reigning houses, and which has as its object the pro- tection of the lace industry in all countries. The members of this league promise to use no imitation lace on any of the articles of their clothing, and they also promise to use their influence in persuading the ladies of their households to follow their example. It can be easily imagined how grateful the lace-makers are to their Queen; and since Her Majesty has taken the matter in hand, there has been a decided improvement in the industry. The Queen takes the greatest interest in all kinds of philanthropic work, and is ready to give a helping hand to any charity which needs her assistance. The annual bazaar held in Brussels always has work for sale done by the Queen and the Princess Clementina, besides paintings and embroidery of the most exquisite descrip- tion, which are always immediately sold to those who are anxious to have something done by the hands of the Queen and the Princess. Her Majesty has had another great trial in her life in the death of her nephew, Prince Baldwin of Flanders, a most promising Prince, who, it was said, was to be the future husband of the Princess Clementina. Fortunately The Queen of the Belgians 335 PRINCESS THE QUEEN CLEMENTINA OF THE BELGIANS. OF THE BELGIANS. the Count of Flanders has a second younger son, Prince Albert, who is looked on in Belgium as the heir to the throne. Few Royal Families have experienced more sorrow than that of Belgium, and not the smallest of the many tragedies it has experienced was the execution of the unfortunate Emperor of Mexico, which drove his wife out of her mind, and which caused the most poignant distress to the Queen, who was amongst those who had urged him to accept the Mexican throne. Con- sidering all these sorrows, it is small wonder that Queen Maria should prefer to lead as secluded a life as possible, and that she should find her chief pleasure in her home at Spa, where she has |built herself the most magnificent stables, in which she keeps her favourites, and is able to visit them every day. Her dogs accom- pany her everywhere, and her special pets are very seldom out of her presence. In Spa also she meets many old 336 The Sovereign Ladies of Europé friends and relations, who come there for the treatment, and whom she receives at her villa most hospitably. The Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, the Duc de Chartres, and many other French Princes, are amongst the habitués of Spa, which is one of the most charming health resorts on the Continent, and quite worthy of being the favourite residence of a Queen. For her niece, the Duchesse d’Orléans, the eldest daughter of her eldest brother, she has a particular liking. The Duchess, who re- sembles the Queen, her aunt, in her THE COUNT OF FLANDERS, great talent for HEIR TO THE BELGIAN THRONE. Pausie and her lave for that art, very often comes to Brussels with her husband. The Princess Clementina of the Belgians leads a very quiet life when with her mother, but her time is diversified by visits paid to her father, whom she has, on more than one occasion, accompanied to England and to the Riviera. In the winter of 1898 Her Royal Highness, who was suffering from a weakness of the throat, was ordered by her physician to try the effect of a sojourn in the South, and she accordingly spent several weeks at Saint Raphael, and returned home looking the picture of health. The Queen of the Belgiaus 337 The Queen has a great dislike to being photographed, in consequence of which there are very few portraits of her to be had: those that exist are not particularly good likenesses. This aversion is curious in these days, when every Royal personage is photographed so often and hundreds of pho- tographs are to be had of almost every other Royal lady in Europe. One of the strongest charac- teristics of the Queen is her love for animals and her dislike of every kind of cruelty or the inflicting of un- necessary pain. When driving or walking, Her Majesty never suffers any act of unkindness that she may see to pass without reproof, and on more than one occasion she has remonstrated with the people herself, and has explained to them why they should treat their animals kindly. The Queen may, with justice, be termed one of the most graceful and accomplished Royal horsewomen in Europe. Like the late Empress of Austria, she took the greatest interest in circus-riding, and has had lessons in school-riding from celebrated masters of the art, when she showed herself a very apt pupil. Riding has 22 THE COUNTESS OF FLANDERS, NEE PRINCESS OF HOHENZOLLERN. 338 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe been the greatest resource of the Queen all her life, her horses giving her constant interest, especially since she built the magnificent stables for her stud at Spa, which are the admiration of all those who visit her. She is very practical in her ideas for the comfort of her favourites, and also thoroughly understands the points of a horse. At Spa the Queen often receives visits from her elder daughters and grandchildren, the Crown Princess Stéphanie of Austria generally paying her mother a visit each year—visits which are looked forward to with the keenest pleasure by her and the Princess Clementina. In 1898 the newly married granddaughter of the Queen, the Duchess Ernst Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein, paid a visit to Her Majesty with her husband and the daughter of the Crown Princess Stéphanie. The Arch- duchess Elizabeth of Austria is also a very welcome visitor. The Royal House of Belgium is naturally not very extensive, considering that it has existed for so short atime. The next heir to the throne is the only brother of King Leopold, the Count of Flanders, who was born on March 24th, 1837, and who is married to the Princess Maria of Hohenzollern, the sister of the present Prince of that house, and therefore a sister also of the King of Roumania. The Count and Countess of Flanders have three surviving children, two daughters and a son, Prince Albert, who is the only heir to the throne in the second generation. Prince Albert, who recently made a journey through America, is very popular in Belgium. He was born on April 8th, 1875, and his future subjects are most anxious to see him married to a suitable Princess. The Queen of the Belgians 339 The daughters of the Count and Countess of Flanders are older than their brother, and are both married, the elder to the Duc de Vendome, the only son of the Duc d’Alengon, and the younger to her cousin, Prince Carl Anton of Hohenzollern. The Count and Countess are very much loved in Brussels, where they are extremely well known, as they go out a great deal into society. Their daughters were allowed much more liberty than their cousins, so that they are more readily recognised by the people. The Princess Carl Anton of Hohenzollern and the Duchesse de Vendome pay frequent visits to their parents in Brussels, when they bring their children with them, and make a very happy family party. The only members of the Belgian Royal Family now resident in Brussels are the King and Queen, the Princess Clementina, the Count and Countess of Flanders, Prince Albert of Flanders, and the ex-Empress of Mexico. The King prefers Ostend to his capital, and spends a considerable portion of his time there ; so that, with the Queen generally at Spa, the only members of the Royal Family who make Brussels their principal home are the Count and Countess of Flanders. Their Royal Highnesses are often to be seen at the theatre, and at other places of public amusement, and in this way are well-known to the people, and gain great popularity. THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA, XIV QUEEN ELIZABETH OF ROUMANIA, NEE PRINCESS ZU WIED HE Poetess-Queen of our century is naturally one of the most interesting personalities of the day, and her untiring energy in well-doing, as well as in the pursuit of her beloved art, have, during her entire life, been most praiseworthy and an excellent example to her fellow-women. “Carmen Sylva,” the nom de plume chosen by Her Majesty, has a poetic sound, and describes her beauty, charm, and originality better than any of the great titles that are hers by right of her lofty station. Born the daughter of a famous ancient house, celebrated for many generations for the great intellectual powers of its members, Carmen Sylva has inherited the brain- qualities and energy of her ancestors, with the graceful wit and gentleness which are the highest gifts that a woman can have. Through her entire life the Queen’s chief interest has been to help others, to make every one see the world and nature in the poetical way in which they appear to her, and to instil into the minds of those.she meets faith in God and in the beauty of His works, with the further belief that every one should carry out his duties in the fullest and best sense. Her Majesty’s influence with all 341 342 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe those who come into contact with her is very wonder- ful, and her manner has a fascination that no one can withstand—the fascination that comes from a_ pure, unselfish heart. The Queen is most considerate in the way in which she treats her attendants, and she is absolutely adored by the Roumanians, who look upon her as their good angel, and who, were it necessary, would lay down their lives for her. She has earned this devotion by her unselfish life, and the manner in which she has given her entire time for the service of the people over whom her husband rules. Carmen Sylva was born at Neuwied, as the first-born of her parents, on Friday, December 29th, 1843, at midday, just as the clocks were striking the hour. Her mother, who was only eighteen years old at the time, was a Princess of Nassau, and the second daughter by his first marriage of the late Duke Wilhelm of Nassau with the Princess Louise of Saxe-Altenburg, who died in 1825, soon after the birth of this daughter. The mother of the Queen of Roumania is now the only surviving sister of the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, but she has also surviving a half-brother and a_ half-sister, namely, the present Queen of Sweden and Prince Nicholas of Nassau. The Princess Marie of Nassau had been married out of the schoolroom to Prince Hermann zu Wied on June 20th, 1842, and the birth of their little daughter was a great pleasure to them both. Prince Hermann was no exception to his ancestors, for he was a man of culture and talent; and as both he and his wife took the greatest interest in art and litera- ture, their daughter had the highest advantages from her earliest infancy—advantages which she did not fail to Queen Elizabeth of Rouniania 343 make good use of. In such anintellectual atmosphere the little Princess could not fail to grow up an extremely intelligent child, and, with her unusual gifts, she very quickly became extraordinarily clever and forward for her age, and seemed to be able to learn all the tasks that were given her without any effort. Another very for- tunate circumstance was that the Princess Elizabeth was born THE QUEEN OF ROUMANIA (CARMEN SYLVA) with excellent bodily AND HER MOTHER, health, as well as with great mental powers, so that she did not know what it was to be ill during her childhood, and her early studies did her no harm, but seemed rather to give her greater zest for play and the amusements that came in her way. In process of time two brothers were added to the family, the elder, who is the present Prince zu Wied, having been born two years later than his sister—namely, on August 22nd, 1845. He was a fine, healthy child ; but his younger brother, Prince Otto, who was born on November 22nd, 1850, was a hopeless invalid, almost from his birth, although mentally very gifted. 344 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe The illness and sufferings of this brother cast a shadow over the childhood of the Princess, who was old enough to share her parents’ sorrow for the sufferings of their child. But it was through this sorrow she learnt to think for others, and to be anxious to help all those in pain and affliction. Prince Otto had a most sweet and gentle nature, and endured his sufferings with great patience. He died in the February of 1862, after a life that was almost constant pain, and his parents and sister could only feel thankful that his long trial was over. He was in his twelfth year at the time of his death, and, during the whole of his life, had hardly ever known a moment free from suffering. The remembrance of her brother’s long trials has always remained with his sister ; and when she too lay on a bed of sickness, from which she never expected to rise again, she wrote a most touching account of his life, in which are contained the thoughts of her inmost heart. Jt is a work that no one in affliction could read without feeling comforted and helped in his own grief. The childhood and girlhood of the Princess Elizabeth were spent in the beautiful Rhine country, amongst all that is lovely in nature; her winter home being at Neuwied, on the banks of the famous river, and her summer residence in the forests of the Taunus Mountains, districts abounding in romantic legends. It was no wonder that the young girl, with her vivid imagination and poetic turn of mind, her love for all that is beautiful and her appreciation for what is best in life, should have developed into a poet and artist. The Queen still regards her old home with the deepest love, and speaks COUNTRY RESIDENCE OF THE KING AND QUEEN. 346 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe of “Father Rhine” and the beautiful forests surrounding it as her oldest and dearest friends. Carmen Sylva could read when she was only three years of age, and learnt English at the same time as her mother- tongue, so that it is no wonder that she should be fond of our language. She has always had a great admiration for the literature of Great Britain, and some of her favourite authors are amongst our countrymen. It 1s a curious fact that English literature should be more appreciated in Germany than that of any other country, and English books are extensively read, both in the original and in translations. One of the first teachers of the Princess was Fraulein Lavater, a great-niece of the famous professor of that name, and it was from her that she first learnt to take an interest in the history and the legends of the pleasant Rhine country, which abounds in legendary lore and stories of the days gone by. The greatest treat that Fraulein Lavater could give her pupil in the long winter evenings was to relate to her the fairy stories of the countryside, so that in all their walks she knew a story told of each place they visited, and the Princess laid the foundation of the immense fund of anecdotes and legends that she possesses, and of which she has made so good a use in her writings. She and her brothers were brought up very strictly ; and, as well as being trained mentally by tutors and governesses, they were also taught to use their hands and to learn manual labour. They were given gardens, in which they had to do. the entire work, and, when they were diligent in their efforts, received praise from their parents, and were encouraged to redouble them. When in the country, they also were taught a certain Queen Elizabeth of tRoumania 347 amount of farm work. They learnt to milk the cows, make butter, skim the milk, and do dairy work, as well as to feed the animals and chickens, and, in fact, were trained to make themselves generally useful, so that they were always happily employed, and learnt to take an interest in everything. Both the Prince and the Princess zu Wied exercised personal supervision over the education of their children, and had them constantly with them. The Princess Elizabeth soon became the close companion of her mother, who was so near her in point of age that she seemed more like her elder sister than her parent. When she was five years old, the Princess paid her first visit to England, and made a stay of several weeks on the Isle of Wight. This is an event that is still remembered by the Queen, and which gave her her first experience of the sea. It was soon after their return to Germany that Prince Otto was born, whose suffering life cast such a mournful shadow over the happy home at Neuwied. The Princess zu Wied, who was very ill at the time of her child’s birth, remained a complete invalid for five years afterwards. What rendered the general anxiety still greater was the fact that Prince Hermann also became very much out of health at the same time, and this year showed the first symptoms of the illness which eventually shortened his life. The Princess Elizabeth, though only seven years old at the time of her second brother's birth, was very much advanced for her age, and quite understood and entered into her parents’ sorrows, and from this time seemed to leave her childhood behind her, and to become gifted with the sympathy and intuition of a woman. She was naturally a great comfort to her mother in this period of trial, and 348 Zhe Sovereign Ladies of Lurope her devotion to her afflicted baby- brother was very beautiful. Prince Otto, though physically so weak and suffering, was possessed of great natural gifts, and had a marvellously gentle, patient dis- position and a won- derful memory. The five years during which her mother was ill were the time in which the Prin- cess developed the unselfish nature THE QUEEN AS PRINCESS ELIZABETH ZU WIED, WITH HER BROTHER, THE PRESENT PRINCE ZU WIED. that has been hers ever since. It would seem that the beauty of her character has become perfect through suffering and trial. One of the weekly customs in the Wied household was that every Sunday morning after breakfast the Princess and her brothers had to recite a poem to their parents. The choice of the poem and the language in which it was recited were entirely left to the taste of the children, who in this way were taught to take an interest in literature and to find out for themselves what they considered most beautiful. It is a curious fact that the Princess Elizabeth had always a strong objection to most French poetry, although she Queen Elizabeth of Roumania 349 spoke the language perfectly, and was otherwise fond of French literature, and more especially of French works of history. She had a wonderful memory, and even when a tiny child could repeat a verse if it were only read two or three times to her, so that learning by heart was not only no difficulty to her, but, on the contrary, always a pleasure. From her earliest girlhood she may be said to have been an author, and her writings showed great promise. When eleven years of age, she began to write regularly, and showed considerable talent in her methods of setting to work, When fourteen, she began a drama, though at that age her greatest ambition was to write a popular romance, and numerous were the attempts she made to accomplish her object. It was through her saddened childhood, caused by her mother’s illness and the sufferings of her brother, that Carmen Sylva obtained her widely felt sympathy for all pain, and her liberal ideas and earnest views of life. The lessons she learnt in her early girlhood have never been forgotten, and many there are who have reason to bless the Poetess-Queen, who has soothed and comforted them in their sorrows, and whose tender, gentle heart has sympathised with all those whom she has met and who have needed her help. Her deep religious feelings have helped her in every sorrow that has come to her, and in all her trials she has been patient and resigned. In the year 1850 the Prince and Princess zu Wied went to Bonn, in order to see if anything could be done for their invalid son, and, during the months they spent there, their daughter was often in the company of the poet Ernst Moritz Arndt, who was delighted with the 350 The Sovereign Ladies of Lurope clever, pretty little Princess. She spent many hours with him; in fact, she would have liked to have visited her poet every day, for nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear him recite some of his patriotic poems to her. Ernst Moritz Arndt was, at that time, a very old man; but he still took a great interest in all matters, and his reminiscences of the days of Napoleon I. were of the greatest interest. His songs were almost all of them about Napoleon and against the French invaders who had brought so much sorrow to the Fatherland ; and the little Princess, who was most patriotic in her love for her country, was fired with an ambition to write in the same strain. Arndt, who was born in 1769, lived ten years after his meeting with the Wieds at Bonn, and died at the age of ninety-one. His career was curious. He was a professor of history at Bonn, and was dismissed on account of his liberal opinions in 1818, but was restored to his post at the university in the year 1840. Two years after the visit to Bonn the Princess zu Wied moved to Paris to consult a physician about her own health, and the treatment that she received was so entirely successful that she was able to return home quite cured. The Princess Elizabeth had become, during the period of her mother’s delicate health, the constant companion of her father, and, in spite of her youthfulness, she was quite capable of enjoying and understanding the conver- sation of the intellectual circle that the Prince gathered round him. She was also very proud to act as her father’s secretary, and often was able to help him in many ways. The Prince, who, during his wife’s sojourn in Paris, ‘SOVIUUVN UAH ANOITA NIING AHL 40 AKOH AHL ‘AgIMNGUN NI SSOTHOS 352 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe had spent a few months in America, commenced his greatest literary work soon after his return to Europe, which was called “Das unbewtsste Geistesleben und die gottliche Offenbarung,” and was published by him in 1859. His daughter had been of great assistance to him in his literary work, and in this way she learnt the art of writing. At the same time she was his closest companion, as her mother devoted the greater part of her time to her invalid son, Prince Otto, whose sufferings had become much more acute. The Princess was taught, as one of her highest duties, to do all in her power for the poor; and, as she was naturally generous, one of her greatest pleasures was to help those in need on her father’s estates. Even as a tiny child she wished to give all she had to the poor children she met on her walks, and on many occasions her attendants had considerable difficulty in persuading her not to take off her warm cloak and give it to some poorly dressed child whom she thought in need of better clothing. One of the great difficulties found by her governesses was to teach her to think before she acted, for she was naturally impulsive, and the moment she thought that she could help any one her instinct was to rob herself, if she thought it would give others any pleasure. This great generosity and kindness the Queen still practises, but time and experience have shown her that it is not always possible or wise to act on the impulse of the moment. Her Majesty is heart and soul a musician as well as a poet, and as a girl one of her favourite pursuits was the study of music. She both played and sang well, had a charming voice, and took an especial Queen Elizabeth of Roumania 353 interest in part-singing. For many years she gave up her music on account of her health ; but she now again delights in it, and, when at Abbazia, has on several occasions played the harmonium at the Church services, and has shown great talent in the manner in which she has directed the singing. From the age of thirteen her governesses were banished, and the Princess was entirely educated by masters under the strict supervision of her parents, Prince Hermann himself undertaking to teach her many branches of learning. The father and daughter were very happy during the hours of study they spent together, so that no one can wonder that the Prince was proud of the great talents of his daughter, who proved herself a most apt and willing pupil. A certain absence of mind was always a failing of the talented Princess, who was constantly thinking of her poems and planning new romances, even when studying earnest subjects. Her father took especial pains to cure his daughter of this fault, in order that she might lose none of the advantages of the splendid education that she was receiving. A fault of this kind is, however, difficult to eradicate, and the Queen has still a somewhat dreamy nature. It is an interesting fact that the favourite book of the Princess in her childhood was.‘‘ The Wide, Wide World,” which she read over and over again, and of which she never was tired. The adventures of Ellen, and the strange American life depicted in the book, had a charm for her that no other work of the kind possessed at that time of her life. Writing to a friend, she says :— 354 The Sovereign Ladies of Europe b4, if. 10 00 Tr bP Cg ho, f-Tyrm mage bt. Lr bate eye , eee frre Herewerrd. fh cs means Witn'F finer Cnglighe Lp ae 4 rc 9 Anatl pe ee Y grr beter toe hin? CFEC anes Lo! oe Queen Elizabeth of oumania 355 Integer ie I é tree Tie gee in thitery tem ee trprth puch Wher herp wi py Tipton ea fh’ Livvt tha € PhP ne orrrrr- Th igre ae ad, pele tmp Bagls th’ EGO S14 2 1866 , Tht Mama gtr rote UY pir ¥ neta At sixteen she was confirmed, and, after this rite, was looked upon as grown-up, and able to enter into society. Confirmation in Germany is a very different ceremony from what it is in England, for the young people look upon it as the end of their childhood. For the most part the day is celebrated by a family festival, to which all the relations and intimate friends are invited, each of whom brings the newly-confirmed a pretty present, girls on this occasion receiving a great deal of jewelry as well as books and other gifts, and in some cases even a complete trousseau. Two years later the Princess went to stay in Berlin, where, under the wing of the late Empress Augusta, then Queen of Prussia, she was introduced to Berlin 356 The Sovereign Dadies of Burope Court society. The Empress was greatly interested in her, and thoroughly appreciated her talents, as she was herself one of the cleverest and most liberal-minded Princesses in Germany. Although the Princess Elizabeth enjoyed her visit, and found a great deal to excite her attention in this her first glimpse of the great world, she was nevertheless often very homesick, and longed for the quiet life at Neuwied. ‘On her return home, she found her father seriously ill, and therefore devoted herself entirely to him, as her mother was not able to leave the sick-bed of Prince Otto, who gradually became weaker and weaker, and who died the following year. Prince Hermann recovered partially, and in the year 1863 was able to take his daughter to Karlsruhe. There she appeared at her first ball, and charmed every one with her grace and beauty, and also by her intelligent conversation. She was dressed in a gown of a charming shade of pink, embroidered with silver, and is said to have looked very lovely. Every one at Karlsruhe was charmed with the Princess ; and now that she had been introduced into society, her relations thought that she ought to see more of the great world, as hitherto, with the exception of her visit to Berlin, she had spent her time in a perfectly quiet manner with her parents. She was accordingly sent on a tour with the Grand Duchess Héléne of Russia, who was related to her, and who was one of the cleverest Princesses of her day. Her Imperial Highness was a Princess of Wurtemberg by birth, and had been a widow for a great number of years, her husband, the Grand Duke Michael Paulovitch, having died in 1849, leaving her a daughter, who later married Duke George of Queen Elizabeth of toumania 357 Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The Grand Duchess Héléne was very fond of travelling, and also greatly interested in the young Princess zu Wied, who made a delightful companion. Later the Princess Elizabeth accompanied the Grand Duchess for a season to Russia, spending a few days at Wiesbaden en route, where she saw her father for the last time. Although the Prince