ROYAL MOTHERS-IN-LAW.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1818, 18 April 1888, Page 3

ROYAL MOTHERS-IN-LAW.

(Wellington "Post")

A mother-in-law Beema to be aa disturbing an element m royal and political circus 88 such a relation la popularly credited with baing m domestic life. With the writers of comedies and farces the mother in-law ia a favorite oharaoter, r.nd her pge^oy ia invoked to cause all sorts of complications and involvemouts. A kind of comedy-farce, which, however, may develop into a tragedy, ia novr being played on the European atage, and the leading oharacter is the mother-in-law, played to the life by Her Moat Gracioas Miijtoty of England. She 1b apparently bringing about as many perplexing situations as the most ingenious of French playwrights could poaalbly have devised. The Bsttenberg family has m some strange way succeeded to the place m her affections formerly occupied by John Brown, and to advance the interests of the JBtttenberga is her darling ambition. Prince Loula is very comfortably provided for m th 9 British Naval eerv'oa, where plama i<B constantly dropped into hia rauuth. Prince H^nry occupies the not altogether to be envied position of the Prinoeea Beatrice's huaband, m attendance on his mother-in-law. Hia euffjringa are the theme of much comic comment m the English press, and he is evidently kept under very Btrlot discipline . His eldest brother, Prince Alexander, is still always refetred to m the Court News, which la virtually edited by the Queen herself, as being " of Bulgaria " — a form of words wh oh li supposed to be very dißtattaful to several European Courts, and to have beoii more than once p-oteeted egf-Ini' by Lord SftHetu;y and vie Pricca of Wa'oa. Having married the youoger bro her o h r daughter, Her M*j sty now wau's to marry her grandd .u^hter to ill? elder brother, The arr*Dgim?nt is rather peculiar, aa it would m>ko (h'"< eldpr brother the 6pouse of his younger brother's wife's niece. P.obably, if the arrangement were to be inude ever sga!n, tho p:>ira would be d.fferently assorted, the nlese being glveu to the younger brother, and the aunt to tho e\der orn- ; but this was not poßaibls when it was firat determined lint tho Batonberps should be allied to the Royal Fi nviy of England, TII9 old Emperor had a stronger will thai Her ftlajeety, and he would never have tolerated the ide:\ of his grand-daughier marrying a Battanb >rg. Thoro was also tho drawb\ck thac Prince Alexander himself was n>t willing to marry at that peiiod, aa he was then very faithfully attached to a certain Jady cf the corps de ballet, who followed hia 6ifu\ fi rtuues for a long time, but who is nocv apparently ahu;;lo?, &s <he Prince uvows hia roadlneßß to pcoej>t Qacen YiotoriA, not ai l.is m ;thty m law, indeed, but r,n his Hrand-mothfcr^iu-law. Priro3 Alexnn r lor showed himself a \ rwo mau m tho truiii'lvs which Id lo hie cxpnl siori from iiU;garia, but wo doubt if he I as ever given a greater proof of raul courage thani n faciug without flinching the prospect of such a iremcndoiiH relationship' to II .T Majesty. By what influonces she has i;ifiuc;?d tha Knip ror and her da«ghti-y, tho Empress, to look with favor on Prince Alexander as a eon in-law, we aro unablo to conceive, but apparently tho has dona so, despite tho wiso oppojition of Prince Bisiuuvck. Tho coneequencis may be of tbo v:\ost B3iious chancteVj lor enco inrrri(jd to the daughter of the Jrmpcror of Germany a;d granddaughter of <ha Queen of England, there is little doubt that Prince Alexander would mal?e another attempt to regc^n the throm of Buloarii, if not to bui!d up a nfrv and Eoya! throne, by a union of tho PrincipaJitieH li'Ußaia may well vje\y s«ch a probability with aerioujj alarm, and any intrigue of the kind woi^d undoubtedly ei)d. f iDgor tho peace of Europe, and load to a total rearrangement of national alliances. In England Her Majesty's interference and action m this matter will certainly csoi'o much pubiic discontent, and to very Koveryly covanioiitod on, Tho'pos'pibility iof i f ngianii ' bocdining' involved m a E/irop'ean war for tho eako of tho Battenbergs iH not a ploaaant one to contemplate, and the prospect will not raiso Her Majesty iv Hie rospoct of affection of. her bubjeca, It is a Bingular coniuidoi^co that Queen Victoria iq not iho oiily Iloyal molhor m law who ia causing political tioublo m Europe just now. Queon Isabella of Spfiin haa' been iafriguing to such purpose that hor daughter in-!aw, as Ifogent, ha« had to practically banish h,or from the Kingdom,

The bßst periodical for ladies to take monthly and from which thoy will reoejve tho greatest benefit is American Hojj B.itters. A member of th.c l^ew SovtU Wales Legis. lativo Assembly has moved — " That there phonld be erected m the vicinity of the Parliament House a 24 feet ring, wherein quarrelsome members should be permitted to settle their parliarnentry disputes m fistic fashion." The reading of the notice was receivod with a burst of " Oh, oh's ".from hon members, and Garrett at once took the point whether '■ suoh a notice should be permitted to be placed i on the recQrd,9 of the House,

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