The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1884-12-20
-EuRoPE's ROYAL WOMEN.
Victoria aud Alexandra-Ex-Quee
IEabelia-O:ga, or Greece.

Victoria aud Alexandra-Ex-Que
IEabelia-O:ga, OF Greece.
[Olive Harper in New York World]
Queen Victoria saw twice while in
England-once On the platform Of rail
way station, and a second time walking
in tho grounds of Windsor castle. The
first time she was accompanied by her
suit and probably by her faithful John
Brown, and the second time she had
two little girls with her and a tall man
servant walking sedately in the rear.
The queen looked just as do her pictures,
with the exception that her color and
her eyes, her mouth and her gross
figure all give her very common ap-
pearance, and she looks like one who,
were she not queen, would be called y
hard drinker, judging from her appear
ance. There is nothing regal, nor even
dignifled, in her manner or walk. She
wears very large shoes, and dresses in
deep mourning, with widows cap. She
has 10 grace of figure or outline, and, in
short, her whole appearance knocks to
splinters the theory of patrican birth
evidenced in appearance. OF course
this is but a superficial judgment. Her
daughter -in-law Alexandra, however,
has every grace and dignity and attri-
butte we inyoluntarily bestow upon
prircesses. She is everything that is
noble and engaging, and she draws all
hearts to her. Her children resemble
her. Her features and form are those of
the highest l.ussian type, and that type
is yrNf1.1 bfrc hncE.i.nn b<, do
of the war correspondent, who is now,
believe, in Toledo, and who is "a Russian
lady, resembles the Princess Alexandra
very closely.
The Princess Alexandra is very often
seen in London, driving about with ono
or more of her children, and is often
met IN the South Kensington aud British
museums, where have seen her. She
always dresses on these occasions with
the most extreme simplicity. The en-
press of Austria, on the contrary,
dresses with the greatest elegance at ali
compatible with the occasion. have
seen her many times in tho Visnna ex-
hibition, alway dressed magnifccntly In
satins and rare laccs. She mingles
freely among the people and displays
her rarely beautiful smiles for all alike.
She has the most superb head of chest
nut hair, wavy and glossy, that ever
saw, and she walks erect and with
grace Of motion seldom seen in women
She has large eyes, full of fire
and spirit as well as affection, and is
altogether most beautiful woman, tall
and 1.-the. ] have seen her in royal
paseants dressed in regal state, and on
horseback, where she is indeed splen-
did sight, dressed in velvet, gold-laced
and bejewcled riding habits, and | have
seen her on the Prater in the evenings,
at the opera at night, and, serercst test
of all, at the exposition, under the hard
and searching light Of day, and 1 de-
clare still that she is a beautiful woman.
Once at the exhibition she stepped on
my toes, and, l must admit, hurt my
apologies than l should have thought
necessary had l been the one to squeeze
her imperial toes, and when She found
that ! could not speak anything but
American" she held quite little chat
with me, much to the scandal of her fol-
lowers.
Very different to her in manner was
the cx-Queen Isabella, whom ! also met
with the young King Alphonso, who,
however, was not king then, but just
a nice boy of somewhere about 90. She
is short, gross and fat, and with most
repulsive countenance wherein it seemed
to mo all the low passions predominated
She was dressed very plainly as to mate
rial and color though it does not seem
to me that any amount of jewels or robes
could transform her into anything moro
regal. The went about cheapening diff
ferent articles like narket-woman, and
putting and painting along, her huge bust
and stomach shaking as she walked,
and pudgy hands thrust into immense
gloves, altogether making picture not
pleasant to see.
Queen Olga, of Greece, l also sew at
the Vienna exhibition, Us we'll as after
ward, when was in Athens, and she is
one of the handsomest women | have
ever seen. queen or otherwise. She is
rather tall, most exquisitely built, with
small hands and feet, thick dark hair,
large brown eyes, with eyelashes that
are simply wonderful, and with a pure,
cream complexion as rare as it is beauti-
full. She is very fond of horseback rid
ing and looks well in the saddle, but
love her best whom with her children or
with ladies. She is irresistibly lovely
and charming then. 1t is but fair to
say that she is adored by her husband
and her people. She is fond of knitting
lace-work, such as is done in Turkey,
and giving it to ladies who please her in
any way.
| saw the empress of Prussia once
only, and then but indistinctly. She
was with the emperor, and they visited
Vienna together. After sitting for hours
to see the royal cortege pass the win
dow, at last my patience was rewarded by
seeing carriage dash by as rapidly as
possible, and in it we're seated the griz-
ely old emperor William and withered,
frail-looking old woman almost hidden
in wraps and laces, and that was her
majesty the empress of Prussia.