Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-10
QUEEN vICToRIA.s HABITS.
She Ii Relaxing the Privacy In which She
Has So Long Lived.

She II Relaxing the Privacy In which She
Has So Long Lived.
London Cable to the New York Herald.
There can be no doubt that the queen IL
making a change in her habits. which many Of
her loyal subjects look upon with great interest
mingled, perhaps, with surprise. She is relax
ing in no slight degree the privacy in which she
has lived, and is entering into certain social
festivities which for many years have been
banished from court. II is very like she 10
doing this more for the sake Of others than to
please herself. She may feel that the younger
members of her family ought TO have a little
amusement occasionally and that W, lie they
live with her they cannot get it without her
permission
There is Princess Beatrice who il alwavs
with the queen and whose children are there
quite a. much as the Duke of Connaught's chill
dren, who are also great deal with their grand
mother. Altogether there are a great many
young folks about, so that the queen may nat
urally have felt it was in some sense her duty to
modify the austere seclnsion in which she has
lived since the death of The prince consort.
The queen herself, moreover. is not at all of
that breeding and morose disposition which
many people attribute 70 her. She is naturally
OF cheerful temperament-no one has a more
thorough enjoyment in lively or amusing con
vcrsation- That was always said To be one OF
the reasons why she first took strong per-
sonal liking to Benjamin Disraeh who told her
lively stories of whit was going on in society
and related them with that dryness and gravity
which everybody found irresistible.
She can be serious enough upon proper occa-
sion. as most people who have 20 transact
business with her find out but she can also
unbend Then abe is known to be one OF the
most charming women in the world, we'll she
may be. considering the enormous range Of her
knowledge her experience and the vlgor of her
intellectual faculties.
The operatic and dramatic performances
given before her last year indicated her desire
to bring herself more in contact with the world
but the most striking occurrence has been her
sanction of the tsbleaux vivants which Princess
Beatrice has been the prime means of getting
up Mt Osborne during the last ten DAYS
This is the time OF year at which the queen
has hitherto avoided anything approaching so
cial entertainments. 1t is associated with her
heaviest bereavements. Seldom, indeed, have
strangers entered her household until the
Christmas and New Year celebrations have been
all over. This is the first year in which she has
made any signal departure from her custom
The performances which have taken place at
Osborne House were not given merely for the
benefit of her own family, but strangers were
invited, some of them entirely unknown, ex-
cept by their positions or Names TO her
majesty. On Wednesday last for instance. q
u
were honored with invitations, and. dare saw
some Of them will never cease to talk of the
wonderful tableaux vivants in which the chief
parts were played by the Duke of Connaught
Princess Louise. Princess Beatrice and their
children.
What sight for these heavy, respectable
provincials to see Arthur, Duke Of Connaught
playing King Alfred In the neatherd's hut and
being roundly scoided for allowing the cakes to
get burned. The descriptions Of these Won
drous things will keep many en- Isle of Wight
home quite fashionable for at least a twelve
month to come
Then all the naval officers who happened to
be near at hand we're hidden TO the show. II
cannot, therefore. be said that the queen is sell
fish in her enjoyInents. She treated her
neighbors with true old English hospitality,
just as the Prince of Wales treats his at
SandrlngEam. There very bounteous
supper spread in the dining room, and. need
less to say, all the arrangements we're of the
most perfect kind.
As for the actual performances. q lady who
was present informs me they could not have
been more beautifully rendered even if the
actors and actresses had been taken from the
real stage. The Duke Of Connaught and Prin-
cess Beatrice won especially loud praises. the
queen applauding most heartily. Now that the
ice is fairly broken it is hoped the queen may
do little more TO encourage the regular drama,
which stands sorely in need of a little FLIP
from some quarter or other.