Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-04-14
ThornY Crowns.

Thorny Crowns.
The Queen of Italy is still ailing, and
q thousand stories are on the wing
about her illness and the cause. She
has hysteria; she laughs and cries with
out cause, and is totally changed in ap-
pearance. ] saw her on the Pincio, the
other day, walking, and she looked like
a very unhappy woman, sick at heart
as we'll as in body her step was feeble,
and her whole appearance entirely un>
like the gay, rosy, happy woman who
left Rome last June. Her pretty smile
is gone there are dark rings about her
eyes, and the eyelids look heavy as
with weeping and sleeplessness. One
of the rumors is that her Majesty is
pouting. Ifso, it is very serious, un-
happy pout. That the King and Queen
of Italy arc not the good friends they
we're after the death Of Victor Emanuel
is well known. Report says the King
only stayed three hours at Bordigherra
Christmas day, and that the Queen re-
fused to see him. She also refused to
came to Rome, but was obliged to by
order of the King. She, however, re-
fuses to be seen in society, and will not
attend any public gayeties. The
English Ambassador gives grand ball
on the 18th. King Humbert has ac-
cepted the invitation, but the Queen
has refused. She has received only q
few of her court ladies since her return
on the New Year, and her ap-
pearancc certainly corloborates the re-
port of i'll health, but the ill-health
seems more of mind than body. Who
could have predicted such change in
the popular, happy Marguerite, Princess
of Savoy? She has the spirit Of her
mother in her as well as that of Sa
voy Princess, and if she feels herself
outraged in any way she will be sure
to resent it. Her mother, the Duchess
of Genoa, after the death of her hus
band, might have been Queen of Sar-
dinia if she had pleasd to become so. She
always exercised a powerful influence
over Victor Emanuel; he was more
than anxious to marry her. But she in
sisted that he should send Off his mis-
tress of many years, the notorious
countess NIillefiori Rosina, whose po-
sition with the King had embittered
the existence ofQueen Adelaide, Victor
Emanuel's first wife, the mother Of the
present King of Italy. This woman,
Rosina, was the daughter Of one of the
palace guards, a vulgar, common girl,
without education, but harmless size
never interfered with politics, but
was content with an easy life,
plenty to eat, drink, and to wear.
After the death of Queen Ade-
laide, who died, at the age of thirty
one, in 1855, the King made Rosina
Countess NIillefora, the name of roy
al farm near Turin, and in 1869 he mar
ried her. 1t was this woman the DucE-
ess of Genoa insisted upon removing
from the King in 1856, when he wished
to marry her. The King refused. The
Duchess was so exasperated that she
determined to humilitate her royal
lover. The Duchess was at the cha
teau Of the Duke of Genoa, some dis
tance from Turin, when she received
Victor Emanuel's answer. That night
she sent for Lieutenant Ropalla, an Of
ficer who had belonged te the military
household Of her deceased husband,
little, common man, whose brother was
an apothecary at Genoa, and she mar
ried him then and there in the chapel
of the chateau When the ceremony was
over she sent an express to her royal
lover informing him of her marriage.
OF course the King and everybody
knew that the marriage was mere
form, that the proud Duchess Of
Genoa, Princess of SaXony,
would never regard Rapallo as her
husband, that it was an act of anger,
and meant to mortify her brother-in-
law. Victor Emanuel was furious he
took her children away from her-the
Princess Marguerite, now Queen of It.
ally, and Prince Thomas, Duke of Ge-
noa, children of five and two years Of
age-and he threatened in his wrath to
Danish his sister-in-law from the king
dom, to send her back to her father.
The King of Saxony dispatched his
grand chamberlain to the angry King of
Sardinia to intercede for his daughter.
Victor Emanuel was brought to reason.
but he would not allow the Duchess to
live in any Piedmont city. She was
banished to Belgirato, a villa on Lake
Maggiore, but her children were allow
ed to visit her. Poor Rapallo was made
q Marquis and chevalier d'honneur in
the household of the Duchess, and was
ever after her humble attendant, moth
ing more. In 1860 Victor Emanuel be-
came reconciled to the Duchess and al
lowed her to return to court. He need
ed royal lady to preside over the court
receptions and balls, as his kingdom was
increasing in size. so the Duchess ap-
peared at Milan, Florence, and Naples
on all state occasions. She had her
household as Royal Highness, and her
deputy husband was appointed Cham
berlain; his duty was to remain in the
ante-chamber and introduce the diplo-
mats and other personages who came
to be officially presented to the Ouch
ess. After the King had forgiven her,
she secured great deal of her influence
over her. One day they were seated
by the fire in her private salon, talking
in the old friendly way; modest little
tap was heard at the door. The Ouch
ess went on with her conversation, as
if she heard nothing. Again the dis
Greet knock was heard.
"Some one is knocking,n said the
King; fought you not to reply to it ?"
| 'Why should ?" answered the Prin-