Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-11

From the New York Times
Christmas At Windsor Castle.
A GLIMPSE OF THE PRIVATE LIFE OF MONARCH
How THE QUEEN AND HER CHILDREN HUN
UP THEIR SToCkINGs-A Rich DESCRIPTION
1t is rarely that the public obtains
glimpse of the private life of monarchs
They are never seen by their subjects excep
IN full dress, and equipped with what New
Englnd people are accustomed To call ''com
pany manners" Thus only the outer shell
so to speak, of the German Emperor or tn
British Queen is known to their people. W
all know, of course, that the Emperor i
mortal, and hence must at times be put in
nlght-shirt, and that even Queen Nictori
must do up her back hair on going to be,
Just as though she were an ordinary British
matrOn, but even the most enterprisinl
special correspondent is unable to describe
those imperial and ROYAL acts from his owl
personal knowledge. We of this generation
are, however, exceptionally fortunate IN re
gard to the good and gracious Queen of Eng
land. In the Life of The Prince Consort,
which Is virtually written by her, we are takei
into the interior of the royal palace and ad
mItted to the privacy OF the royal family. |
is safe to say that the present generation il
acquainted with the royal family of Englan.
more intimately than any previous genera
ton has been acquainted with any other rov
al household. The Queens description of
Christmas at Windsor Castle is OF especia
interest just at present, and as it has not ye
been published, Il summary of it, obtained
from advance sheets, may interest TIE read
ers of the Times.
Tho ,,arsi.pl,r I
that OF the year 1919. Especial efforts wer,
made TO render that occasion one of unusun
domestic felicity. The Prince Consort Lac
said, Mother, We must have tirst-clas.
shindy for the children this time, and til,
amIable Queen had answered, Albert. W,
Will Just make things whoop." Accordingly
an immense amount of presents was proyid
ed, and the royI parents determined to per.
sonally superintend the filling of the stock.
ings-a duty which ordinarily devolved upon
Lord John Russell "On Christmas eve
su we are told '.the Queen remarked, AL
bert, | believe | will hang up my own stock
ing, and you shall fill it, The Prince, with
that excellent good sense which never failed
him, replied My dear, it will not do
There must be II limit TO the size OF stockings.
Hang up Il pillowcnse, if You want to, or
even bolster, but remember that can I
afford to sit dp all night filling unlimited
space with expensive prese,.ts. " Her Majes-
ty thereupon changed her mind, and. full OF
anxiety to make her husband happy, volun.
teered to fill the stockings herself, SO that
the Prince could go to bed early. During
the evening the children were of course unu-
sually wide awake. Half dozen times was
the Queen compelled to go to the foot of the
front stairs and order them 20 90 instantly
10 sleep. Threats were even necessary be-
fore they could be quieted. and the Prince
ConSort WAS finally obliged to remark ''lf
you children let me hear one more word ont
of you this night | shall come up stairs with
II club Whereupon the childIen ceased
their uproar and 10y 10 o'clock were sOundly
asleep.
at was the wish of the Prince" continues
the narrative, ''to sleep in the nursery with
the children, SO that he could see them open
their stockings in the morning" As the
Queen desired to hang portrait of herself
oser the Princes bed. rs n pleasant surprise
for HIM, she was compelled to wait until he
was sound asleep. At ] o'clock II. III. Her
Majesty stealthily entered the nursery with
some well-filled stockings hanging ON her
arm. just ns she crossed the threshold two
OF the stockings slipped from her grasp and
fell with considerable noise, but without
awakening the children or interrupting
Prince Alhert's gentle snore. 1t so happen
ed that the Duke of WELLINGTON had. when
filling the stove for the ni,ht. inadvertently
left "A coal-scuttle in the middle OF the floor.
and the Queen. not dreaming of such an OBJ
stacle, fell over it with n luud crash. Tho
Prince of Wales moved nn,asily in his bed.
but continued TO sIeep sounlly MS did all the
other children and their rrn,ious G,tber
Fortunately ihe Oueen fell an the stockinrs
which were nrrrlv stufr,.d with melnss,s
candy of II Welding natur, md so sustained
no injury. FINALLY the stockings were hung
In their proper place and the Queen pro.
rccdcd TO place her portrnit ON the wall over
the Prince Consort's head To do this #
was necessary for her 10 stand ON the bed.
Now. to walk oyera well-flled bed in a dim
Weighted room is "A dif,icult ouertion. and
i fms bnunen.d tI.t In, nna.n stennad
heavily unon the Prince. IL was
me last strnyy that troka b,s rrincelv slum-
,crs and also fInttenrd his ribs In those
instead of brtrnyiug imp,.
ience he merely pronned heavily and ,x-
.laimrl 90 on m.ab in thr rrst Of thcm
;et fin. Princess of Csp,bridne Ia helm van
,et INV be unronfn.d - ,,J fnrtLer Ian
,nnoe io that ef,qct 81 mnv.J WIS IL
Majesty lax this snf,.,in,, an1 f,rtitrJ. r.,
h,. hurst iuto t,,rs onJ nc,rlv f.II u,,n,, In,
hereby elicitinr n ven of terror Th;s woto
m the children Who f,rcyin,, tL,t r,,r,i,,,
nd arrived riutcIrd tbsir s,nciin,,s ~ ~
,r,an tb, inytnI nnrnn- which i'm - ba,,
~ home nsLcrs in the blessed Clri.t,,,i
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