The Portland daily press., 1896-05-30
QUEEN WcToRlA's BIRTHDAY.
Her seyenty-seventh-Has the Gout but is
Still Active.

| ENtSASN-
seventh birthday Sunday, and notwith
standing her rheumatism, govt ant
cares, is still hale and active. In Londol
the birthday WAS observed by church ser
vices, numerous dinners and social func
tions. II fer away Moscow, now in the
throes of coronation festivities, the an
niversary was not forgotten. The bishop
of Peterborough conducted service in tn
English church, which was thronge(
with a weil-dressed congregation. almos
entirely of British nationality. The Duk
and Duchess of Connaught were present.
the duke wearing the ribbon and insignia
of the new Victorian order. Among
other familiar faces in the assembly wer'
those of Sir Francis Grenfell, Lord ant
Lady Iveagh, Lord Rowton, Mrs. Gosoh-
en-, Mrs. Carnegie, with other ladies OF
the Eli bassy. The American minister
was present with his wife.
| Victoria is short and fat, has white hail
and cold. gray protruding eyes, and whel
OH her feet hobbies around on her cane
( he Is not "a beauty anC
never was, but age has treat
ed her kindly and she is as particular anG
exact about her drawing rooms and Other
| social functions as she ever was.
The first and most important event oil
| the Queens reign was her courtship and
marriage to her cousin, Prince Albert
of Sake COburg. Queen Victoria was not
more than 16 when she met and fell
violently in love at first sight with her
cousin, the prince, manly fellow of IL,
rather short and thick sat, but fine look
ing, rosy checked, natural and Esiinple In
his manners and Of cheerful DISPOSE
ton. Albert then spent soma time in
travel and when he next visited England
Victoria had become Queen. The object
of the young princes visit this time was
to plead for the hand and heart of the
young queen. Victoria's love was evil
IDENTIFY rekindled upon the sight of Albert
Judging from the following, which she
wrote to her Uncle leopold:
"Albert's beauty is most striking, and
he is most .amiable, and unaffected-in
short, very fascinating"
And she was net wrong in her opinion
OF Albert, for the short, .thiok-set boy
had grown into a tall, comely youth,
with elegant manners, and strikingly
handsome face The gods smiled upon
the suit Of Prince Albert. A few days
after his arrival Victoria had made up
her mind, and sending for Lord Mel
bourne. the prime minister, told him
that she was going to marry Prince AL
bert. The next Gay she sent for the
prince, in q genuine outburst of hearth
nsss and love-" she declared to him that
he had gained her whole heart, and would
make her very happy if he would share
her lite With her. He responded with
warm affection, and thus they became
betrothed. The queen not only thus
popped the question:" but insisted that
the marriage should take place at an
early day. This was in the summer of
1889, and in the early winter Of 1910 the
young couple were married in the royal
chapel of St James. with great pomp
and ceremony.
Victoria has found queenhood a very
profitable calling. Figures for fifty seven
years of her reign show that the British
people have given her under the name Of
civil list expenditures, $110, 275, 000 In
addition to this vast total S46, 676, 765 has
been expended for the maintenance of
seventeen royal residences, stables and the
like. Mhe total direct expenditures of
the queen alone are 1854, 951, 765, or over
81. 800, 600 year. There Is at this date
an annual expenditure in addition for
other mem bers OF the royal family of ST.
300, 600. The thrifty old lady, who has
had this vast income at her disposal, has
taken care to "Inake hay while the sun
shines" OF course the money has been
voted to enable her to keep up the orna-
mental state considered necessary for a
royal position. But it is just this she
doss not DO. A peculiar fact In illus
tvation of her prudence is seen in the
non-probating OF her husbands will. He
Is known to have left d large fortune
The English treasury has never been in
creased by the legacy tax due from the
estate of "Albert the Good" who should
has been commonly considered in Great
Britain as METER of good policy for
the monarch not to be the owner of priv
ate estates. Victoria, beside valuable
continental property is the owner of
three estates in the United Kingdom.
They are BalInoral, in Aberdeenshire,
Scotland; Osborne House, Isle of Wight,
HE,apopshire, end Charlemont, Surrey:
They embrace 5, 561 acres, with a rental
value year Of $27. sos. At twenty years.
purchase that would be 1856, 100. In
fact, they are worth double that amount.
Qusen Victoria, they say, has hel littls
superstitions. She believes shat articles
made by blind persons bring good luck !;
that splitting salt brings bad lucfk; and
she would probably not give sixpence
for her kingdom If by any untoward
cnduce bnlrueon p5fsous uHpPeuou TO STU
at the royal dining table. She has her
pet dislikes, too, and among these is her
hearty detestation of nicknames; anoth-
er is an antipathy TO the smell Of furs,
particularly of sealakins. She wears
three rings which she has never removed
her wedding ring. a little enamel ring
with small diamond center, which the
prince consort gave her when she was
only sixteen years old. and her engage
ment ring which Is in the form of q SER