Personalities

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 429, 4 August 1904, Page 2

Personalities

THE BOY KING OF SPAIN.

STA.IHBEN' the present King of Spain ,|M web little more than, five jears «iH4jais of age, a famous sculptor was

engaged to make a statue of his Majesty. The sculptor had difficulty in finding a pose for his subject which should be at once spirited and natural, and sat one day in a brown study, regarding the boy as he looked out of the window. All at once the sound of a band of music was heard in the street The King sprang up, and brought his hand to his forehead in the military salute. 'The flag) sir! the fLtgV the boy exclaimed. ' Salute it.'

The sculptor had found the pose he sought, and made the statue representing the King in the act of saluting his country's flag. As he was at work the boy asked the artist, ' Are you going to make me big P' ' The statue will represent your Majesty a little larger than you,' said the sculptor. ' Well,' said the Boyal youngster, ' I want you to make me very big, with a long moustache,'

TURKISH LADIES. The chief diversions of the Turkish lady are smoking cigarettes, eating sweetmeats, talking scandal, and scolding her slaves, with an occasional visit to an inferior theatre. Small wonder then that her physique, and with it that of the race, is deteriorating for want of sensible exercise and sufficient fresh air. The oft-disputed question whether women have immortal souls has also left; its mark on the feminine portion of the community, who, as the matter appears so unoertain, live such a self-pleasing, animal existence that the modern flippant Turk generally decides, that if they be indeed endowed with souk, those souls must be such poor things as to be hardly worth the trouble of saving.

KING CHRISTIAN OP DENMARK. A very interesting picture is that of King Edward and his venerable fathe- inlaw, the aged King Christian, who, though still hale and hearty, was born in 1818, two years before the late Qaeen Victoria. King Christian foimerly had the reputation of being the handsomest European, monarch, and, even now, his only rival in this respect is his son, King George of Greece.

King Christian is devoted to bis three daughters QaeaH Alexandra, the Dowager Empress of Bnesia, and the Duchess of Cumberland—-who are never probably, happier than when staying with him at Fredenborg. This is a fine, roomy old castle some distance from Copenhagen, and has aptly been termed ' the Balmoral of Denmark.' There the King and his family spend a free and untrammelled life, wonderfully more home-like and pleasant than that of most Courts,

Family events have always been very important in the home of Queen Alexandra's girlhood, and year by year she

has, if possible, always joined the greater gathering of child ten and grandchildren who awsmble to keep King Christian's birthday on April Bth. This year she and Princess Victoria will spend a sad anniversary with the King—that of the death of his beloved wife, Qieen Louisa, whioh took place on September 29sh, 1898. By-the-bye, the homeliness of the Danish Court is well illustrated by the invariable birthday present of Qaeen Louisa to her Consort. It was always a Bait of clothes, the fashion and ont of which were decided by her Majsatyand the Zing's tailor in secret consultation. Sometimes the garments were not exactly to the recipient's teste, and the fun and merriment over them, when the parcel was undone and the family criticisms were made, were none the lean for that

On November 15 ;h, King Christian will celebrate the forty-first anniversary of his coronation. This will be. the occasion of great family festivities in"whioh King Edward and Qaeen Alexandra hoped to have joined, though at the moment of writing it seems as if they might be kept at home by the visit of the King and Qaaetf 6f Italy, whioh is likely to take ' place at that time.

SOME WONDEBFUL JEWELS. Beautiful as are the jewels of Q leen Alexandra and the German Empress, they become almost insignificant when compared with tho Russian Crown jewels. Indeed, the Tsaritsa herself has not even seen all her jewels, whioh are stored in a hundred and fifty safes, and are under the care of eleven attendants, while six court dignitaries are responsible for them. One of the mast interesting articles in the whole of the collection is a jewelled caps, whioh is a mass of diamonds and other precious stones. It is not large, but, nevertheless, is bo weighty that it can only be worn for a few minutes at a time. In the Tsaritsa's private collection of jewels is a chain of flawless emeralds, whioh she prizes immensely, for she, like her grandmother, Queen Victoria, cares for emeralds far more than for any other precious stones. Generally, the Tsaritsa wears bat little jewellery, but on state occasions she sometimes seems fairly abla*,9 with diamonds jand other precious stones. On her wedding day, her gown was stuc'did all over with gems, and the Tsar's crown contained a hundred of the finest white diamond). A QUEEN ALMOST EUN OVER BY A TRAM-CAE, Qaeen Olgo of Greece, the sister-in-law of Qieen Alexandra, was recently very nearly rnn over by a tram-car in Athens. Her Majesty left the Palace with Prince Christopher and her private secretary to walk to the Cathedral for service. She had almost reached her destination, when a tram-oar overtook her* A high wind was blowing, and consequently her Majesyt did not hear the car, and the driver of it carelessly neglected to sound his horn. The shouts of some spectators just saved the Queen, who, startled, jumped back, and the car passed on, just grazing her dress, but, happily, doing her no injury. MATCHLESS EMERALDS, Among the fortunate possessors of valoable and beautiful jewels is Lady Aberdeen, and she generally wears her wonderful emeralds at great functions, where they are the admired of all beholders. The emeralds comprise brooch, earrings, tiara, and necklace, and some of the gems in the coronet are said to be the largest in the world. They were all given to L%dy Aberdeen by her father, the late Lord Tweedmouth.