Evening star., 1893-12-04
PIGMY RULERS OF EUROPE.
Most of Them Are Undersixed ana De-
fective In Stature

FROM the New orleans Times Democrat.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria
VINO has just passed through this country
on his way back from China and japan TO
Europe, present an unusually good example
OF European royalty. as far as physique
is concerned. writes the Marquis de Fonte-
noy. When / say unusually, 1 mean that
there are few of his class as we'll set up Is
he. the major portion of the personages of
blood royal being undersized and defective
in stature, especially those Of southern Eu-
rope Thus, King Humbert of Italy is frail
and short, while his son and heir, the
Prince of Naples is even less than five feet
In height and is slight in proportion The
King or Portugal and his brother are both
stunpy and fat. while the late King
Alfonso resemSled the other members
OF his family, excepting Don Carlos, in be-
ing understood to an incredible degree. He
was fully cognizant of the puny character
OF MS appearance and sought to improve It
by every means in his power including
padding high heels, &C. but all without
avail. Don Antonio, the husband of Princess
Eulalie. is not Spaniard, but a Frenchman
by blrth, his father, the late Due de Mont
pensier, having been a son of King Iouis
Philippe OF France. All the members of the
British royal family are extremely short
specially the queen, who is not much taller
than a ten-year-old girl, and is becoming
with increasing years, almost as broad as
she is long. The only two princes of Great
Britain who are of the average British
stature are the Duke of Cambridge and the
Duke of Cumberland
The members of the Dutch royal family
are like those of England, abbreviated In
stature, and so, too, is the present genera
ton Of the Hohenzolerns, with solitary ex
ception of Prince Albert, the regent of
Brunswick, who is gigantic as those
Anaks of modern royalty, the princes Of
the reigning house of Sweden. Perhaps IL is
due TO the Preneau peasant blood in ,bair
derived
father of Field Marshal Bernadotte thai
they are of such magnificent physioue ana
! the same may be said of the car and of
certain of the Russian grand dukes whose
blood has been maintained in a baaI,h,
condition by the frequent marriages with
women of the humblest class of societv tba
Empress Catharine having been little better
than mere camp follower Alexan5ar
III Is close upon six feet three in heish,
This, at any rate, is the measurement -
corded against that wonderful column a,
the Danish cathedral of Roeskilde. the rest
ing place OF the ancient kings of Denrart
Against this column a number of roona -
have been measured and their height 70
corded. Conspicuous among them ts patar
the Great VINO measured six feet ten. ONLY
one other of the sovereigns was taller VA
that was King Christian 1 of Dan,,ari,
who, according to this authority was inS,
trihe over seven feet The present King
Christian of Denmark measures close ,ron
six feet, while his grandson Prince - CaIun uioll
OF Greece, who visited this country a co,,n1a
OF years ago, stands six feet in his stock
inSs. The tallest of all the royal ladies
of Europe is assuredly the yoo1-natnrad
unconventional and somewhat uninteIIectn'
al Crown Princess of Denmark, a dauehts,
OF OF the late King of Sweden. whose height is
U tne same as mat or her father-in-law FlnC
Christian, a gigantic stature for a won, ~
Her children show a tendency TO follow hnr
In this respect. and her sons compare favor-
ably In height with that OF their cousins
the sons of King Oscar. every one os ',hn..,
is exceedingly tall - "'ioiii