KING AND STAGE ARTISTS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 138, 2 December 1911, Page 10 (Supplement)

KING AND STAGE ARTISTS

SToi!I! ;• i since tlii- days of Xero of ancient Koine, sirens of the stage liave been making things lively lor our most prominent potentates. l'oor young King Manuel, whose glittering crown was iiguratively sent spinning from his head, had it alleged against him as a reason for dethroneJuient that lie was an admirer of a music hall danseuse whom he met when seeking relaxation from Hie cares of State in Paris. While the guns of the Portuguese warships were still pouring shot into the ltoyal palace at Lisbon, and the fugitive King, disguised as a watchman, was seeking an avenue of escape, Mile. Gaby Deslys, the sylph-like little music hall dancer, expressed her pity for him in these words: "It is much better for the young mail to abdicate. I know he will be happier now than he was among all his troubles as King." When King Manuel summoned Mile. Deslys to Lisbon, the papers referred to her as "uncrowned Queen of Portugal." Soon after the edict went forth, and he became an uncrowned King. King Leopold, of the Belgians, of all the monarchs of Europe, snapped his Royal lingers in defiance of public opinion, and did as he pleased. He was as well known by the title of the "Royal rake of Europe" as he was as Leopold. He was a money-maker and a moneyspender. He would give a day to the affairs of State, and then, as Count Ravenstein, gentleman, disappear from the capital, and swing down to Paris, where he was as likely to be found in an obscure cafe with frisky girls of tho stage as anywhere else. M. Elbers, in the Belgian Senate, made bold to tell of his monarch's escapades, and called him the "Royal gallivanter." Behind Hhe scenes in the theatres, Leopold was known as "the giant." He stood six feet four inches tall and was a man of massive frame. His beard touched the second button of his waistcoat.

Clet de Merode, who started the fashion of wearing the hair smoothed over the ears, was

OXE OF THE FAVORITES OF KING LEOPOLD. He first saw her from a at the opera, as she was leading the ballet. The next night when the pretty dancer appeared in her dressing room, she found a diamond necklace, with a request that she would wear it during the performance. When Mile. Giro's engagement took her from Paris, the smitten monarch, ignoring matters of State, trailed at her heels. She appeared at several capitals and always in gowns of the most exquisite and costly patterns, with jewels that astonished most people.

After a time the black-haired Cleo ceased to bask in the favor of the Giant King. A newer face had attracted him. It was that of Emililenne d'Alencon, like Cleo. a woman of the stage. Again the diamond dealers bid for the monarch's generous patronage. Indeed, it is said that not a few establishments had runners whose duty it was to ascertain which way Leopold's fancy was drifting, to the end that they might invite the favored one to inspect their bijou collection. Paris shopkeepers mourned the passing of King Leopold with deep, commercial sorrow. There were times when Leopold's throne rocked, and tin- subjects were of a mind to point the way to the frontier, and tell the monarch be gone; but at such time he would appear among the people in a democratic fashion, and the people would forgive him. When the Czar of Russia was a gay youth of twenty, and the natural leader of the young noblemen of his country, he sat one night with a party in a box at the Eoval Opera House in Warsaw. On the stage he saw "the 'beautiful Labouskaia," celebrated at the time as a premiere danseuse. She was the favorite toast for the Polish nobles at the banquets because of her surpassing loveliness. Her age was 10. Nicholas was smitten at once. His rank gained him .admission that very evening of the region behind the scenes, and thenceforward he let his passion for the dancer take full possession of him. The Czar heard of it. He tried by every possible means to break it up, [ but the hot-headed youth would not listen. It is said that the heir of the throne secretly made her his wife. However this may be, an officer of the Chevalier Guard Regiment, acting under the instructions of the Czarevitch, purchased an estate in the suburbs of St. Petersburg in the name of Maritza Ksezinska, the dancer's maiden name, and there she was installed as chatelaine. A trip around the world, planned by the Czar for his heir, in the hope that it would make him forget the young woman. failed in its object. After a time, but not without a struggle, Nicholas was made to see that for reasons of State his betrothal to another, chosen from the ranks of Royalty, was a necessity. A bride was selected for him, and the death of Czar Alexander and the Royal wedding of the new Czar followed in rapid succession. The villa in the suburbs of St. Petersburg long ago ceased to be the former dancer's home. A grave on the outskirts of Odessa shows where she is buried. Just how near Chnlalongkorn, the lately deceased multi-married, multimillionaire KTXG OF SI AM came to getting entangled may never be known outside the sacred precincts of the inner temple of Bangkok. Chulalnngkorn. sometimes referred to by those of llippnnt speech as Chulalonggreen, because of his great wealth, on ■his recent visit to Paris became aware that he was moving at a pace such as no self-respecting Siamese ought to go. Tie was actually scattering jewels anil buying wine for evervhody in the set in which Miss Ximblctocs of the stage moved. Having no less than a dozen wives— classified, like stocks, between preferred and common —he felt a certain responsibility, if not restraint. One night after he had distributed twenty or lliirl v ropes of pearls among his women entertainers he turned to Prince t"h.iroon. his Ambassador in Paris, and whispered: "Be 'jooil enough to tell me when you think T ought; to stop." ' The diplomatic Prince made no verbal reply, but took out his watch, looked at it, and then at his tioval master. The act was effective. "Xicelv done." said the King, smiling. "You must have a stop watch." Which shows that the King of Siam liked his little joke. Tn upper Siamese circles it is no longer good form to refer to Paris when the King is around. For a ouartcr of a century or more Fran Katii Sschntt. ail actress at the Court Theatre. Vienna, was the accepted companion and counsellor of Emperor Francis Joseph, grew old with him. Many people have arched their eyebrows when reference has been made to the relations between the Emperor and the nrl!•>•«. Inil. whatever it was, it was open anil above board. They walked log' (her : 11 the park, dined together and drove TTad it not "bmi for the

STERN HAND OF THE KAISER Crown Prince Frederick William might have made the mistake the Czar did.

The Crown Piime is mi iniprev.-iionable youth, and for a lime he was iin-1 in:-d to be lrjiidstrun;,'. lie liki d iircUv •, >.• . ,t ...* .1 oiiigc uemtiv with ilciim's rollicking first-nighters. When some of the less sober Berlin newspapers mad is airy references to the subject, the Kaiser and the Prince had a "talkfest" in an upper chamber of a conspicuous dwelling on L'nter den Linden. And coincident with the end of the session the Crown Prince went off into the depths of the deepest German forests in search of game that wouldn't oil'end the Kaiser. Although it is authoritatively stated that the young Prince has settled down, the lvaiser, knowing the tendency of young royalty to break barriers, always has an eye on the youth. George Lawrence speaks of Fanny Ellsler, who was the companion of Francois, son of Napoleon 1., as the "dancer at whose twinkling feet the younger Napoleon laid down his frail young life." When the Maharajah of Kapurthala, Sir Jagatjit Singh, K.C.5.1., turbaned and thrice roped around the neck with pearls, came from the Punjab to see the sights of Europe, he was introduced to Senorita Delgado, a sinuous artist with the castaets, who was the rage of all Spain, and, incidentally, unmarried. Jagatjit asked her how she'd like to be a maharanee. She assured him that nothing in Spain, not even the onions, appealed to her as did the maharanee idea. That being her frame of mind, it was a quick romance. The Maharajah has an income of £ 1,000,000 a year, which he isn't afraid to spend. .