WHEN KINGS GET CROSS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2087, 23 May 1907, Page 4

WHEN KINGS GET CROSS

SOME INSTANCES OF REGAL WRATH.

Kings and queens are just like ordinary human beings in at least one respect; when anyone annoys them, things happen. The Royal Academy has been under a cloud of late, and people are beginning to ask why. If the story that is being whispered round is true, then the Academy is suffering from its opposition to King Edward’s wishes.

His Majesty desired to see elected as one of their number the artist who designed the stamps and coins of the new reign. A very plain hint to this effect was conveyed to the proper quarters, and the artist and his friends considered tho matter was settled. Unfortunately the Academy Council did not admire the work of the artist, so they ignored tho Royal wishes.

Nothing was said at the timo, but when tho invitations wore issued for the annual Academy banquet tho Prince of "Wales regretted his inability to attend. So did tlio Dulto of Connaught; so did every other member of the Itoyal Family. Consequently, the Academicians had to dine without Royalty, and tho banquet lost its former importance.

Another famous institution which lies under King Edward’s displeasure is tho Travellers’ Club. His Majesty proposed for membership a certain South African millionaire, for whom lie had a very great admiration. A section of the members were violently opposed, on purely political grounds, to the admission of the South African. His Majesty did his utmost,' hut tho opposition persisted, and the King’s candidate was blackballed. All clubland was aghast. It was a direct insult to Royalty, and it could not he passed over lightly. His Majesty and all his friends resigned en bloc, and the club has never recovered from the loss of prestige occasioned by the secession.

Probably the Kaiser holds tho squabbling record amongst Royalties, and quite recently ho administered a ■sharp snub to Berlin. Tho citizens of the capital had been complaining about the number of foreign potentates who visited the Emperor William, and who had to be received in State by the civic authorities. These receptions not only disorganised traffic, hut were very expensive. Besides which, they grumbled, it- was not dignified for tho Burgomaster of a great city to have to humble himself and stand bareheaded awaiting the Royal guests.

So when the King and Queen of Norway visited the Emperor they were received and entertained at Potsdam. Berlin was simply ignored. His Imperial Majesty’s neighbour, the young Queen of Holland, has a temper of her own, which she probably inherits from her father.

Not long ago the young Queen ha occasion to reprimand one of the ladies of the Court. In her annoyance the latter was criticising Her Majesty, to a friend, and neither ol them noticed that Queen Willielmina lu.cl entered the room.

Crimson with fury she broke in upou their conversation, and the ladies started apart in terror. “Mademoi-

sollo,” she said,- in an awful voice, “you are not allowed to entertain "friends in my presence.” | Later tlio Court Chamberlain informed them that tlioy were (“permitted” to rotiro from Court, a permission which simply mount social extinction. I

Tho innor history of the Grand Duke Cyril’s exclusion from Russia shows the Tsarina in a somewhat unpleasant light. Her brother, • tho Grand Duke of Hosse, quarrollod with . his wife, and a divorce was decided i ■upon.’! Tho Tsarina espoused her bro- J flier’s cause and showed her hatred . nndl detestation"of t the Grand Ducli'css in ovory way that was possible. She was furious, therefore, iwlioii tlio Grand Duke Cyril announced his marriago to lior hated sister-in-law, tlio ex-Grand Duchess of Hesse, i In ’ order to mako the Grand Duchess sn (for, and to avenge tho affront on ■her own brother, the Tsarina brought j all her influence to bear on tlio Tsar, urging liim to exile the nowly-mar- j ried couple. In this she was, of courso, entirely successful. | Tho King of Italy is not nearly so good-looking as his photographs would have us boliovo. In addition he is rather short of statue, a point on which ho is very sensitive. Recently lio was walking in tlio Palace gardons when lio overheard two gardonors discussing liim. “I can’t understand,” said ono, “how a handsome woman like Queen Elena came to marry an ugly little man like tho King.” The “ugly little man” returned the Palace in a towering rage, and later in the day a pair of bewildered gardeners wore siiddonlv “sacked.”

The Bank of England stands in three parishes, and its buildings cover ‘two acres three roods.

Te Horo settlers have decided to writo to Mr. Carnegie and ask) him what assistance he will give towards a library.

■ Madame Clara Butt, the distinguished contralto singer, who will shortly tour the Australian colonies and New Zealand under the direction of Messrs. J. and N. Tait, relates the following incident: —“A very amusing incident formed the sequel to my little adventure on the Thames last summer, when I was in some danger of -being drowned. An account of the incident appeared in the papers, and in due time found its way to tho Antipodes. Some months afterwards I received a letter from a lady in New Zealand congratulating me on my escape from a watery grave, and saying that the occurrence had given her the excuse she needed to write to me. The particular fact tho writer wished to impress on mo was that some time ago she read an account of an interview with me in which it was stated that I was very partial to monkeys. Her mother had also been very fond of monkeys, and on this "ground tho writer based tho relationship.”