The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-07-03
ANECDOTES OF VICTORIA.
QUAINT INCIDENTS IN THE LIEF OF
ENcLAND'S QUEEN.

sned Heartily at One laundering
'or, and Showed Resentment To-
""iu northumberland Word of Her
accession While in Her Ni.h+oou,
-, Ih lei is tradition in England, saws
M w. onlcago Times-Herald, that the
queen, like famous predecessor Of
H ms never smiles. This is not true,
VI course everybody knows that the
a mo'ler and wife was plunged into un-
speakable grief by the death of her
eonsort, Prince Albert Yet it is true
that long time has assuaged much Of
mat great grief. That Victoria not
only smiles, but laughs outright, is
prove proved bya photograph taken some
years year: ago at Newport by Charles
hnlSht, the well-known photographer
IL came about in this way: Her Mai
esty was visiting Newport, and was re-
eel"eo by the mayor Of that city. This
!ussy individual had tricked himself
IN all the trappings of his ofice-f1,r
ropes, golden chains, innumerable
medals, cooked hat and all. He had
@ll''en out and learned by rote a
speech OF welcome. Right in the mid
dle OF his fulsome speech his memory
tailed him. He stammered, suffered
turned pale and then shouted: "I'ye
forgotten the rest!" and stood staring
stupidity at the Queen. Victoria looked
at the poor man-so gorgeously at
t'red-and, overcome by the extreme
humor of the situation, burst out into
hearty laugh. Knight had his ca
m )! all ready to catch the group, and
IN TACT was in the act Of taking the pic
ture at the moment. So it is that the
pretty tradition that the heavy and
stolid-faced Queen of England never
smiles is denied by the very best evil
dence.
There was another mayor who was
not so backward with the august Vic
toria, and who suffered for his tenn.
Gritty. The Queen had gone to small
town to dedicate monument to her
self. The mayor was not a "gentle-
man. That is, he was a plain Briton,
unused to royalty, and suffered under
the delusion that an Englishman is
quite as good as anybody, even the
daughter of Duke and of O. German
Princess. He walked up boldly to the
Queen, thrust out his hand, seized hers,
which was hanging by her side, and
shaking the royal "mitten" vigorously.
exclaimed:
"Your majesty, hearty welcome in
town."
Victoria Strengthened herself up to
her full height of five feet and turned
scornfully away, saying: "We will
leave this city at once, and we will
never set foot in itagain."
She did leave, and she has never set
foot in that town since that day.
Victoria has ever been very exacting
in the matter of court etiquette. When
she holds a reception she always insists
upon the performance of every detail
OF CUSTOM Persons who ore fortunate
enough to be invited to court have,
therefore, to drill themselves and re-
hearse their parts, for fear of offending
the Queen by any little neglect of man
ners. Now and then, however, her
majesty unbends. On one occasion,
in very hot weather, she was receiving
a line of sweltering noblemen and
ladies. Everybody was suffering from
the heat. The Queen turned to an at
tendant suddenly and exclaimed:
my! Amt I hot!"
It is court etiquette never to contra
dict royalty, and the lady addressed
replied:
eyes, madam, you are
On this occasion the Queen forgot
both her manners and her grammar.
When the Queen first acceded to the
throne Of Great Britain she was the
Princess Victoria, daughter Of the
Duke of Kent. She was believed to
have been very beautiful then,
although she has not much beauty as
an old woman. She became Queen at
the very tender age Of eighteen. It
was in the early morning that the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the
Lord Chamberlain awakened the young
Princess from sound sleep to inform
her that she was Queen Of England,
She came down into the drawing-room
Of Kensington Palace clothed only in
her nightgown. When they bowed
their knees to her and told her she was
now the Queen she said to them:
Gentlemen, I ask your prayers for
me-"
She was crowned with much ado,
and as soon as her face became known
in London numberless young men fell
madly in love with her. Songs were
written to her by the thousand. One
that has remained to this day is the
1Aadrigal about the harp and the willow
tire, and the disappointed lover who
announces his intention Of being ''off
L. Il - ~ IL.