The times., 1898-09-01
Queen wiIheImina.

One of the prettiest and perhaps one
OF the most significant ceremonies of
the last few years takes place during
this week and the next. Wilhelmina,
the little queen of Holland" as Sc
has been known to all the world fer
several years, was eighteen years old
yesterday, and is now Queen of the
Netherlands, although the formal csre-
monies OF installation do not take
place until Septembep 6. The occasion
Inevitably recalls that other ceremony
more than half a century ago, which
placed another maiden of eighteen en-
the throne of England. That corona
ton was momentous in its conse-
quences 1t is hardly likely that this
Will prove as important, but nobody
knows what may happen IN the future.
An odd circumstance in Queen Will
helmina's accession to the throne is
that there Will be no coronation. There
is no dignitary in Holland of sufficient
consequence to perform such cere-
mony Nobody in the Dutch r formed
Church is considered equal to it, and
the Queen Regent and the prime minis
ter cannot aspire TO such an office.
Queen Wilhelmina viii simply take the
oath of office, as unassumingly as if
she were President of the United States
instead of an hereditary monarch. There
will be very little pomp, but great
deal of solid, simple, quiet dignity. The
Dutch people are not in favor of much
noise and hustle on such a momentous
occasion, and most of the expenditure
viii be not for the privileged few. but
for the masses There will be some
popular festivities, and a very small
court ball. The state dinner will Be an
official and diplomatic affair, with
about two hundred and fifty guests.
And that is all. The most sensational
feature of the proceedings will be the
setting fee of whole nocks of pigeons
to carry the news of the queens ac-
cession to the remotest corners OF the
little Windmill Kingdom.
WiIhelminas path is likely to be a
smooth one. She has good advisers
among her ministers, who are shrewd,
an extremely sensible mother, who has
taken great pains TO give her daughter
2 thorough and useful education And
the young queen herself Is said TO be
a bright, intelligent little creature,
with a head set remarkably straight on
her shoulders. More than all else, she
is the favorite of her people, as a girl
queen of lovable character is quite sure
to be- Her ministers are bent on bring
ing her still closer to the nations
heart, and although some of the aristo-
Gratis at court were inclined to COM
plain because the installation festivi-
ties were not TO be more splendid, the
queens councillors seconded the views
of the royal family, and favored small
display, and the distribution of money
in substantial ways among the masses.
The only trouble which Queen Will
helmina is likely to encounter is in the
matter of marriage, and thus far she
has shown a decided inclination to
settle that for herself, and not to
marry until she is ready. There are
at present but two princes who would
be at all eligible, and they are Ger
mans, with an infusion of Orange
blood Neither OF them is to the
queens tastes, and she may elect 10
marry nobody at all, or to marry
man of less rank, as did Queen Vic
toria. Like Victoria, she is the daugh-
ter and the granddaughter of princes
of unsavory character, but, like Eng
lands queen, she seems to have in
herited the virtues without the vices
of her family. Not only the little
Dutch kingdom, but all other civilized
nations, will wish Queen Wilhelmina
q long and prosperous reign.
Fix the BIame