CHILDREN ADOPTED BY ROYALTY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 72, 14 March 1908, Page 3

CHILDREN ADOPTED BY ROYALTY

'! he iut'TeM which tile Princess of Wales rewntly exhibited in the welfare of little Alice Steele. a former inmate f of the Village Home at Ahlerstone, founded in memory of ller Royal IlighneH.s's mother, the late Duchess of Teck, has been the subject of considerable comment. The Prince** not only sent her protege presents from India during , the Royal tour, but bus uow caused the little girl to be removed from the Vi)- i luge Home and sent to a good school, and. furthermore, has promised to proviilr for her future. The mle of fairy g.Mlmother thu- Inken up by the Princess of Wales reminds oin- that the t'zariiu. the Queen of Holland. and the Cennan Kmpress have ea<h practically adopted several children, and made themselves responsible j for the education and future of youngsters. Three of the Czarinas

"adoption'' are children of olliccrs killed In the war with .lapan, while tic (lerman Kmpress, who ijas caused many homes lor poor and destitute women and children to be established throughout the country over which her husband reigns, has specially adopted an orphan brother and sister whose parents were burnt to death ill ail hotel lire in lierlin. ■possessing 110 children of her own the Queen of Holland lavishes a great deal 'of affection on two little girls, Pauline and Helena VerlH'k, the children of one of her husband's aides-de-camp, who. about three years ago, was killed while trying to save the life of a certain lady of the Court whose horse had bolted. The aide-de-camp managed to stop the horse, but received such injuries that he died shortly afterwards. Queen W'ilhelmina was so all'ected bv the mail's bravery that, hearing that his two children. whose mother had died some time previously, were left ill-provided for. she took' them into the Royal Household. and has practically adopted them a, linr own, although, of course, they do not enjoy any of those Royal privileges which would fall to a child of her own.

The ultimate fate of these Royal proteges is not always a happy one, judging \ty what Countess Larisch, who, at an early age, was adopted hv the ill-fated Kmpress Elizabeth of Austria. The Countess was really the Empress's niece, 1 icing the daughter of Duek Louis o£ Havana by his morganatic marriage with the actress Henrietta Mendel. The latter received, on the occasion of her marriage, the title of liaroness \\ alh"'seo. and this was also accorded to th.' child Which she bore 10 the Duke, and who was christened Marie. The child was brought up almost entirely by the Kmpress at the Court of Austria, and ultimately married Count tieorne Larisch. Unfortunately, the Countess's extravagance led her into ftoilduct which resulted in her being forced to leave Austria and deprived of her rank as Lady of the Palace. Far more fortunate has lieen the fate of the Austrian Empress's other adopted child, Aglae, Princess of Auersperg, who, horn within a few weeks of the Empress's youngest and favourite daughter. the Archduchess Valerie, was brought up with the latter at Court. Princess A'glae is now happily married to Count Kiiiskv. Master of the House and Chamberlain to the Lmperor.