BELGIUM'S QUEEN.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 175, 19 May 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

BELGIUM'S QUEEN.

LEARNED IN PEACE; HEROIC IN

TIME OF WAR. The Queen of the Belgians was born Elizabeth Duchess of Bavaria, and, from the tim© she was able to understand, her teachers and tutors impressed upon their little Royal charge the importance of studying with all her heart and mind if she would do honour to the ancient and historic house of Bavaria —the most ancient in all Euror>e. Elizabeth was willing and promised to do her best. She almost lost her health in her heroic efforts to become a scholar, but she came out triumphant, and is to-day one of the most learned princesses of Europe. She won the degree of doctor of medicine, and the Erecious pigskin hangs on the wall of er study.

When she was a girl in her teens she solemnly swore she would never marry. No. That question was settled once and for all. Her argument was that anybody could marry; besides, she had studied so hard she decided it would be best to serve her country by improvements in one way or another, in a civic way, especially, all along the line. For a girl she certainly had the most stupendous ideas, and she insisted upon having them carried out, too. The nrss was to build a few extra fine roadi. Then, shortly after she graduated as a doctor of medicine, she was the means of having several hospitals built, mostly for the benefit of the poor, but equipped with every present-day convenience for their comfort and quick recovery. Aside from all the latest material improvements introduced into thesa nouses of health, as they are sometime* called, the Princess Elizabeth was, and still is, a firm believer in the psychology of health—such as reading to a patient or having someone sing or render an instrumental solo as the suffering patients wearily wait for their well-day to come. She was just about the happiest girl alive at this time. Everything was going her way, and she secretly congratulated herself on being about the only Royal Princess working out practical results worth while. Doing something for others, that was the idea. Alas! her happiness could not last much longer. She thought that her word, given as a Royal Princess, that she had forsworn marriage, would be taken seriously, above all by her mother. Unforeseen fate, she was the ono who came to her daughter and said: — "My dear, it is nearly time for you to marry, and I have chosen the finest prince in all Euiope for you." The Princess Elizabeth could hardly believe her ears. She looked at her mother in consternation. "What has been the use, then, of all my hard studies? My idea was to achieve fame all by myself." Her mother smiled indulgently and explained that she could carry out her mode of living with twice as much happiness, because, by her side as her husband would be Prince Albert of Flanders, the future King of the Belgians. He knew her ambitions and desires and would willingly work with her in double harness if she would only consent to lie his Queen. She accepted him under no misunderstanding. Everything was made plain as to the difficulties of reigning as Queen of Belgium, for together they would be obliged to discount by their good deeds the unsavoury reputation of the young Prince's uncle, the then reigning Sovereifcu. Elizabeth was as brave as she was good. She promised to do her best. They have throe charming children, two boys and a girl. The Queen has brought them up herself, "by hand," as she herself admits. Then she smiles that slow, sweet smile at the American expression she has used. She is a real musician among other things—a musicianly musician, her favourite instrument being the violin. This she nas taught her eldest son, the Duke of Brabant, the others having chosen the piano. Then came the war; the King's place was to be with his men, right in the centre of the fighting-field. The Queen said her place was by his side, no matter where he went, tor if anything serious happened to him, life would be at an end for her too. "But I shaM be in the trenches, standing in muddy water for hours at a time." "Then Igo too." And go she did. But before she went she pawned every one of her magnificen ] wels, keeping only, and always wearing next her heart that long gold chain and little gold "heart the King had placed around her neck when she put her hand in his and promised to help him govern Belgium as his Queen. There is nothing so very startling in the statement of her having pawned her jewels. Other Royal jewels have been pawned before this —but she did all this instantly and with never a qualm—apparently. Nobody in this world knows how she felt, and she is too brave and genorous and loyal ever to tell anyone —not even her husband. The Queen of the Belgians has won the love of the nation she has adopted as her own, as much by her womanly as by Iter Royal qualities. It is interesting to know that before the war caused the Roval children to find a new home in Eng'land it was Queen Elizabeth's daily habit to visit her children's schoolroom and take part in the work of teaching them. She was particularly well fitted for this work, for she was an excellent student herself and knew just what to do to inculcate a love of ttudy in them. . Queen Elizabeth is certainly a thoroughly enlightened woman and a great reader. She dislikes pomp and display and has never tolerated it. She likes to get at the heart of things by visiting the poor in their cottages, in this way finding out for herself through personal inspection the exact needs of these jK-oplo. Shortly after her vi-its follow the improvements she has mapped onfor their betterment.

No other queen has faced the fire f actual battle. She has seen with noown eves her brave soldiers as they fell, and she has hern there to admini-ber instant relief.