The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-20


This title Of endearEent Victoria receiv-
ed early in her career as Brltain's mon
arcn, when IL was found that she would
not tolerate the loOseness OF morals. the
| dissipation and the corruption which had
marked court life during the reigns of her
immediate predecessors. When William
" died. and the little Princess Victoria
then only IS years Old. was called to the
! throne of Great Britain, compare lively lit
tie was known of her nature and capabili-
ties, owing to the seclusiOn in which her
girlhood was passed; and the leading
statesmen OF the country feared that this
inexperienced young woman might prove
to be as frivolous in disposition and as
undecided in character as most persons Of
her age.
There was a general feeling Of relief
throughout England when it was found
that the youthful queen possessed a deter
| mined, resolute nature, a mind trained
10 perform, understandingly, the duties
OF her axalted position, and a character
firmly grounded in the principles of NOR
atty and justice. The credit OF it all was
justly given to the widowed mother Of
the queen, and to this day the British ma
ton has never forgotten the debt of graft
tude it owes TO the Duchess of Kent for
the happy result of the thoughtfulness.
perseverance, self-denial and practical
! common sense which she displayed in the
education of the future sovereign.
The Duke Of Kent died on Jan. o, 1920
when the little Princess Victoria was only
eight months old, leaving his widow in
straitened circumstances. The duchess
was then a handsome woman of 80 years,
OF amiable disposition, attractive manners
and fond of society, and if she chose to
do so could easily have taken a prominent
place in the fast and pleasure-loving set
that controlled the British court in those
days Fortunately for the English people
the Duchess of Kent fully appreciated the
Importance of the duty which devoIved
upon her, when, after her husbands
| death, she found herself in sole charge
of the probable successor TO the throne.
She then determined TO devote the best
years of her life wholly TO the task Of
molding the uniformed character of her lit
tie daughter into that shape and strength
that best fitted the future queen for the
| responsible position she was destined TO
fill.
The duchess fitness for the task was
well understood by her husband, as was
| evidenced by the following clauses in MS
will: Il do nominate, constitute and APP
| point my beloved wife, Victoire Duchess
| of Kent, to be the sole guardian of our
dear child. the Princess Alexandria Vic
toire, to all intents and for all purposes
whatsoever"
Knowing, as she did, that the moral at
mosphere Of the court of George ". was
not favorable to the furtherance of her
plans for the proper education of her
child, the duchess shut herself up in the
old palace at Kensington, where for sew
enteen years. she and the youthful prin-
| cess passed a life of almost complete Sc
! clusion. The household was regulated in
a severely simple, but most judicious man
ner The family breakfasted a O'Clock
| the Princess Victoria. or Drina, as she
was then called having her bread and
Will "a fvasr1N 4,1-T l.
side. Then came an hours walk or drive.
after which two hours were devoted to her
instruction by the duchess personally
! Then came recreation until O'Clock. when
plain luncheon was served, followed by
two hours more instruction. A visit or
drive preceded an early supper. after
which, on fine evenings, they all sat out
on the lawn under the trees until 9
O'Clock, when the princess went TO bed.
SO passed the even tenor of Victoria's
early life in Kensington palace. Little
knowledge of the outer world came into
the home circle Of the duchess while the
child was being reared in the laws of
physical health, in knowledge and in the
principles of virtue and common Christian
ity.
In Victoria's twelfth year George "
died and was succeeded by William w
and then she became the heiress presump-
tive to the throne. Even under those cir
permit Victoria to be present al the coro-
nation, ostensibly because her health ne
eessitated a trip to the Isle of Wight but
really because the duchess believed the
child was too young 70 be present at a
scene where she would necessarily, have
to take conspicuous part The wise
mother was aware. however, that the
time had come for her daughters know
ledge Of books to be supplemented by in
tercourse with superior minds, and she
adopted the practice Of inviting to Ken
sington travellers. men Of science and other
persons prominent IN the intellectual
world, from whom the Princess Victoria
might gather Information not readily
found In books
The result Of all this care and devotion
on the part OF the Duchess Of Kent was
that on June 90 1897 when the message
was brought TO Kensington palace that her
daughter and pupil was Queen Of England
that daughter was ready and prepared for
the trying and onerous duties which were
thus laid upon her young shoulders.
The Duchess Of Kent gave up everything
in order 20 qualify her daughter for her
exalted position. and she was repaid In
that which a mother most prizes-alial
reverence and affection. A gratifving
PROOF OF this flial love was the fact that
the queen paid all her fathers debts ont
or her hrst years income, and from her
second she discharged all the financial Oh.
legations which the Duchess Of Kent had
Incurred In meeting the innumerable
heavy calls upon her as mother OF the fl-
ture sovereign. The queens affection for
her mother was always intense. In 1870
when an attempt was made upon her No
the queen altered the course Of her drive
ana went at once TO inform her mother
that she was uninjurod. before the duchess
could be noedlcssly alarmed by the rumor
Of the shooting
The Duchess Of Kent died az Frogmore
mousse near Windsor castle. on March q
Lsoi, ana leading London paper la com |
menting upon her life. said: 1--WE can
pcrhapa. betler nnnreclale Tho worth ~