The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-11
QUEEN WILHELMINA.
She Is an object of Interest to All
Royal Matchmal&ers.

Letter in Boston Journal.
With ali her domestic, girlish qualities.
Queen Wilhemina has not neglected the
preparation which will qualify her to rule
wisely and Well over the affairs or her
kingdom. She has watched the political ma
chinery of the other nations or Europe ana
is growing more and more to be close
student of public affairs. She has inter-
ested herself in the army and navy OF her
own kingdom and has fashioned with her
own fingers the knots and DECORATIONS whlch
adorn the breasts of some of her generals.
Her patriotism for the cause OF Holland
has always been at the highest notch. She
has cultivated the hospitality or other
courts, but the splendor of her entertain
ment has never caused her love Tor the
quieter life of her own home to lag. In
deed when she has returned after a round
of gayety and pleasure in the brilliant capi-
tails of other lands she has seemed more
pleased xhan ever with the domestic plain
joys of the old palace at The Hague:
IT is a matter of great concern with her
subjects that Queen Wilhelmina quickly
choose husband. The reason is purely
political In case she should die without an
heir the crown according to the Constitu-
ton of the Netherlands would devolve on
the septuagenarian Grand Duchess of SAKE
Wemar- Eisenbach or her descendants her
husband is Prussian TO the core. ana as
such is regarded as among the main pillars
of the German empire. Indeed. none or the
petty sovereigns who form the federaucn
known as the German empire possesses Il
more commanding and predominant intu-
ence on the national affairs or Germany
than does the Grand Duke of Sake Weimar.
II naturally follows that Holland under her
would become de facto if not de jure. part
and parcel of the North German empire
At any rate it would he brought within VII It
is known as the sphere of Berlin influence,
with all that that implies in a military.
political and a. commercial sense.
To prevent such turn in affairs. when
would mean something akin to disaster 10
the. kingdom, the people of the Netherlands
anxious that royal wedding should
follow closely upon the coronation TO TINS
the young Queen replies that she is in no
hurry and that in good time she will choose
a husband who viii be to the liking not or
herself alone. but all Holland well.
However. her life has never been entirely
free from love affairs. Royal matchmaKers
have already interested themselves in her
Welfare too officiousy perhaps as the young
queens determined attitude reveals.
In May. 1892. when twelve years old She
was taken to Berlin. where it was reported
she was to be betrothed to Prince Fred
erick. eldest son of Albrecht Regent II
Brunswick. This eflga cement was broken
off. and at the age of fifteen il was rumoref
that she was TO be betrotned to the Young
Crown Prince of Prussia. This match also
failed to materiaiiZe. Tn 1895 she an
nounced TO be engaged to Prince Bernard
of Saxe-Weimar. hut again the proposed
matrimonial alliance came to naught.
So when the cables announced last Feb
ruary that her formal betrothal had been
announced to Prince Louis NAPOLEON second
and favorite son of the late Prince Jerome
Napoleon. the report was taken with a grain
of salt Inasmuch nothing further has
come of it, it is safe to assume that Hol-
lands young Queen is still heart whole