The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-02-13
HER MAJESTY VICTORIA.
Madame Albani Writes Entsrtalningly 81
Her Home Lie.

Madame Albani writes Entsrtainingly Of
Her Home Life.
Nine. Albani in the New York World:
A good deal has been said lately in the
newspapers concerning Queen Victoria,
but SO much of it is calculated to give
false Impressions with regard to the
Queen that am tempted to send you
few notes about her, and, as have had
the honor for long time past Of person
ally being acquainted with her Majesty,
I hope you will believe they are true.
With regard to the Queens public ca
pacity II is needless for me to speak,
as all the world knows how she has full
filled her numerous and arduous duties,
and l shall therefore confine myself to
endeavoring to give some idea of her
private life, and especially Of her in her
Scotch highland home, as it is there
that / have seen her most and have had
the best opportunity Of judging.
The Queen rises early in the morning,
and after breakfast reads and answers
her letters and transacts business. She
is fond of the open air, and If the
weather be favorable often has her pa
pors taken into a tent or summer-house
upon the lawn, which commands an ex-
tensive and most lovely view Of Loch-
magyar, its surrounding mountains and
the valley Of the Dee.
After this comes q walk or drive in
pony carriage, and then luncheon, at
which no one is ever present except
members of the royal family.
nur;nrp thu fknrv,rnr <hn n,,nn~a <nl yno
long drive, often extending to over
thirty miles and always in an open car
riage. She dimes late, never before $50
p. m. An hour spent in the drawing
room talking with the guests who may
have been invited finishes the day, and
the Queen retires to rest.
The Queen is faithful to her old
friends and thoughtful for every body
with whom she comes in contact, res
Wondering the smallest details about
them, their families, and their occupa-
tions, and giving evidence Of this at
most unexpected moments. A circum-
stance which happened to me justifies
strongly tho truth Of this. Four years
ago was singing at the Royal Opera at
Berlin, and was not even aware that the
Queen knew of my engagement there.
I, soon after my debut, was at large
dinner party at the English Embassy,
and sitting next to me was one of the
gentlemen of the Crown Princess house,
hold. During dinner he put into my
hand a telegram, telling me to read it.
This was from the Queen to her daughter
(now tho Empress Frederiok), recom-
mending mo to her and desiring her to
do all she could for me. Needless to
say that after this was SO excited that
could eat no dinner, and insisted on
keeping the telegram, one Of my
precious souvenirs.
Her Majesty is fond of music and is q
good musician. She studied music with
Mendelssohn and singing with Lablache.
As a consequence of this teaching she
prefers the old Italian music to any
other, but at the same time she can an
preciate any thing that Is good In tho
modern music. This know from OK
perience, as I have sung all kinds Of
music to her, the new and the old. The
Queen is much touched by q simple,
homely ballad, and after I have sung to
her songs like robin Adair' or .Old
Folks at Home" have seen tears in her
eyes.
She has been in retirement for great
many years, and during that time has
not been present at q single operate
performances; yet she remembers we'll
the old artists and the manner in
which they rendered the various we'll
known roles. For instance, when told
her that was studying the "Huguenots.
and was going to sing it in America, she
said that was ono OF her favorite operas;
that she thought Mario was superb as
Raoul, and that although Grisi sang
the music splendidly, she never realized
her idea Of the character Of Valentine.
The Queen herself looks after the
welfare Of all her tenants and servants,
| and il any ono Of them is sick she is the
first one to pay them . visit and take
them little comforts.
During her stay In Scotland she takes
! pleasure during her drives in stopping
at various cottages to ask after the wei
fare OF the inmates. When 80 occupied
the Queen is as kind and simple as any
ordinary lady could he. When she pa ia
me one OF her flrst visits and took tea
with me my little boy was SO much
struck with this that he said to me after
she was gone; 20 mamma, what A little
woman for such big Quecn!" It is al
this that has made the Queen so beloved
by all her subjects.
have endeavored in these few lot.
tings to give slight idea Of Queen
Victoria; land Ii In doing SO 1 have in
truded myself too much it is because
can not help it, the above being my
personal experience Of her Majesty.