Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-17
MADAGAsCAR's QUEEN.
Darker Than Most of Her Subje
M d Dressed by u Pnrisian.

and Dressed by IL Pnrisian.
From lie Figaro. Paris.
Madagascar's queen was brought up in
poverty in an unknown village by coun-
try butcher, her uncle. who sold to peasants
third-grade meats. Yet she vas the niece
of the reigning queen, Ranavalo II. Her
aunt detested her and would do nothing
for her. The only service that she ever
rendered her was to die. This happened in
1888.
The constitution Of the country permit
ting only descendants Of the founder Of
the Malagassy dynasty to reign, the young
girl claimed the throne. ForeseeinS her
brilliant future, her prime minister had
called her to Antamanarivo. the capital Of
the kingdom, and given to her the first ele-
ments Of a sort Of education.
When the queen died. this prime minis
ter married the girl, in accordance with the
laws Of the country, which exact that the
prime minister shall always be the queens
husband. He has been married three times
in accordance with this law. He has had
no children by the queen. His first wife,
simple Malagassy woman. who is still
alive and to whom the queen pays an an
nual pension for rent of her husband, has
seventeen children.
If Ranavalo III should die without chill
dren her heir is to be her niece, whose
name means Granddaughter of Cod"
She Is thirteen years of age, and uncere-
moniously takes off ner slipper before the
queen in the hall Of the throne.
Should the prime minister survive his
sovereign-he is only seventy years old--he
will marry the Granddaughter of God
The prime minister is opposed to the re-
vision of the constitution.
The Queen of Madagascar is Of medium
height, thin and 1.-THE, undula ting and
supple as snake She is as fragile as a
fgurine of old SaXony ware. I have meas
ured her waist; it is Tot thicker than the
fifty centimeters of the finest waists.
Her foot, which shoes have not deformed
Is famously small, and the narrow palm
and taperfng fingers of her hand are at
ease in No. gloves. Darker than the
greater number of her subjects, her COM
plex!on has the tonality of light chocolate.
The prime minister likes chocolate. Her
forehead is handsome and noble; her hair
Is long, thick and glossy, her eyes are
shaped like almonds. Her cheek bones re-
call the definite type of the Malay race
The drawing Of her lips Is pretty, and
smiles become her. Her chin is pointed
Her teeth, which might be smaller, have
the healthy whiteness of ivory. She takes
large tresses, which she shapes into a
square on her neck. When In mourning she
lets her hair fall on her shoulders
Her dressmaker is one of the best-knovrn
modiStes in Paris She is the most anna BILE
of customers. The correspondence between
the court and the dressmaker is a model of
gracefulness and gentleness- The orders
are given by the second secretary to the
prime minister and they have no sooner
been filled THAI a check comes for them.
AT first the queen would only wear prin-
cess gowns. but now she consents that
waist and skirt be separated. Her waists
are always high cut. The silk of her cloth
ing is heightened by gold embroidery, dis
tingu!shed and light, without tinsal. The
colors which she prefers, after red, are pink
and pale green. She worships gray and
cannot bear blue. Her clothes are perflnn-
ed with white hellotrope. She receives four
or hVe suits every year, and from time to
time nghtgowa in pink silk, with white
lace. For every ordinary gown she has a
round hat, without feathers or other orna-
ments, by one of the best matters in Paris.
For every gown of ceremony she has a
crown, which is diadem of paste5oard
covered with the same stuff as the gown.
There is nothing Babylonian in this mag
nificence.
The royal residence is composed of eight
palaces. The one which the queen inhabits
Is called Eye of the Day" The official
palace is a frame building, surrounded by
stone verandas A tee trunk, about forty
yards in height, occupies the center of the
reception room. 1t was carried from the
forest by 5000 men. When her majesty
receives strangers her audience is given in
the silver palace, thus called because it
is ornamented with string of silver bells.
There is no luxury in her dining room
The sovereign and the prime minister sit
on cushions. but their guests sit, on the
floor There is nothing to drink except
water. Ranavalo goes out of her palaces
five or six times a year. The laws of the
kingdom compel her, however, to spend a
month every year in the sacred city, where
her ancestors are buried. Europeans and
horses are not permitted to enter there.
Ranavalo knows how to sew, and her
favorite occupation is to fly kites. II ever
the chances of war bring as a hostage to
France Queen Ranavalo, she will be well
received. With her soft eyes, her long hair.
her fine waist. her small feet she will be
admired for a whole winter. Our ministers
who are not seventy years of age-wll
give festivals to her. Perhaps she will
think that France is as good as Madagas-
car, and that there is more fun in Paris
than in Antamanarivo.