The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-14
WILHELMINA'S FETES
APPROACHING INAUGURATION AT
AMSTERDAM AND THE HAGUE.
A Series of Festivities to Accompany
the Young Queens Assumption
OF POwer-No Coronation.
Amsterdam Letter in New York Tribune.

played in shop windows and public places
and her praises sounded in general CONVEX
sation. 1t is winsome young face. with
traces of self-will, and it is name to con-
jure with in Holland. Sixty years ago Eng
fish interest in monarchy was revived by
the romances of a young princess, almost
the last survivor of the royal line, who came
after a series of unpopular sovereigns.
Queen Victoria in her girlish grace was de-
scribed as a pathetic figure, but in reality
she was highly favored in being innocent,
inexperienced and lonely. She appealed
strongly to the imaginations of her subjects,
and was more potent in her helplessness
and simplicity than George III in the plen-
itude of his power. The same sort of fas-
cination is exercised by the Dutch Queen.
She is the last representative of the historic
House of Orange, by whom the liberties of
the Netherlands were preserved and to
whom the crown of Great Britain was
transferred after the revolution of 1858. She
is a simple, wholesome natural girl, who
will socn be eighteen and Queen in fact as
we'll as in name; but in her righteousness
and lack of knowledge of real life she has
greater resources of influence than her un-
duly experienced and headstrong father,
William Ill
The fortunes of monarchy are less depend
ent in these practical times upon the sur
vival of the fittest than upon the romantic
isolation of princesses like Victoria sixty
years ago and Wilhemina to-day. Queen
Victoria began by interesting her subjects
and the world in the anomaly of the arming
of an inexperienced and amiable maiden
with supreme power, and she has ended
with impartng strength and permanency
to the principles of monarchy throughout
Europe. Queen Wilhelmina may be des-
tined to enforce the same illustrious exam
pie in a restricted sphere of influence. Her
sickly half-brother, the Prince of Orange,
who died when she was todder in the
royal nursery, would have been a feeble and
inccnspicuous sovereign. From her birth
Wilhelmina was hailed as a star of hope
for waning dynasty The ministers of the
crown decided as soon as the Prince of
Orange died that the succession must be
regulated. and consequently law was en-
acted by state council of senators and
deputies naming her heir to the thone,
with her mother as Regent. Eight years ago
the dissolute and infirm old King brought 10
a close career as ingloriouS as that OF any
OF ThackerayS Georges; but the little
maiden of ten appealed strongly to Dutch
imagination and loyalty. She is now ap-
enormously described as a coronation; and
although Holland is a quiet corner of Eu-
rope. which attracts little attention in the
world, she is the heroine of the most inter
esting royal romance since Queen Victoria S
earliest conquest of English hearts.
A QUEEN TRAINED FOR BUSINESS.
The Queen has been trained for the busi-
ness of reigning by a wise and discreet
mother, who married in her youth an aged
sovereign and is now a plump and good
natured Regent at forty. The Princess of
Waldeck and Pyrmont, like her sister. the
Duchess of Albany, came from good, sensi-
bic German stock Left widow in her
youth by the death of her husband for
whom she could not have had any deep
feeling of attachment, she devoted herself
to the education of her daughter, and dis
played not a little cleverness and force of
cnarcter. At the outset she contented her
self with signing officially as Regent every
paper presented to her by ministers, and
With engaging expert governeSses and in
structorS in languages for her daughter
More recently. she has tried to break her
into harness for the business of state. She
has brought her into touch with public life
and made her a conspicuous figure at court
functions. She may also have given her USE
full advice respecting marriage. but that is
a sealed mystery of the palace. All the
matchmaking has been done by imaginative
journalists. So far as the truth is known
in Holland, the young Queen is in no haste
tient whenever the subject is mentioned. A
JudiciouS uncle Leopold is apparently needed
in order to induce her to reflect seriously
upon her responsibilities as q sovereign
without an heir.
Queen Wilhelmina is a fresh and graceful
girl without any marked pretensions to
beauty put with many signs of intelligence
and good sense. She speaks English, French
and German as fiuently as her native
Dutch. rides well and is graceful dancer
She has good health and rudy color, and
has lived much out of doors, taking horse
back exercise several hours day. She has
o wholesome love of life, has animation and
high spirits. and is fond of gayety. but the
requirements of etiquette have been rightly
enforced by her mother and lades-n-wait-
ing. She has had no friends of her own
age and has grown up among governesses
court officials and servants. AT state BAN
quets she has sat with her mother apart
from the guests, and has been carefully
coached for all the ceremonies of the court
AT the state balls she has been allowed to
dance once during the evening with the
senior diplomatist at The Hague, and her
beaming face has disclosed enjoyment of this
January-and-May rehearsal. In the words
of a younger diplomatist, who was neither
old nor decrepit enough to be her partner
'she enjoyed 1T because she did not know OF
anything better"
HER SUBJECTS PLEASED
The yoIng Queens subjects have been
pleased with her natural grlsh ways. and
touched by he; inexperience and implicitly
What was on every tongue sixty years age
in England is repeated in complacent wills
pers in every somnolent Dutch town. The
Queen is credited with having a good heart
and strong will. Whenever it is intimated
by rumor-mongers that she may accept adj
vice from the German Emperor respecting
her marriage, and bring Amsterdam and
The Hague under the political and diplo.
matte influence of Berlin, the sturdy, peace.
loving, independent men of Holland shake
anrHfi6 liant H.
Sert that she is a sensible Dutch girl. and
knows what the nation does not want tC
have her do. If there were any misgivings
on the inject of her marriage there would
not be signs OF national rejoicing on every
side over her approaching eighteenth birth.
day on the last day of August What her
subjects would like to have her do would oe
TO marry an English prince, but there is nc
available prince consort in that quarter
ciled to a match made by the German En-.
peror. There are, however, two German
princes with Orange blood, either of whom
Will be good match
Inc festivities and fetes, which will fill q
fortnight after the Queens next birthdaI
brings the regency to a close will be es.
Sentlally democratic in character and will
pc designed for the entertainment of the
masses. There will be few ceremonials foI
the diplomatists and court functionaries
after the oath of office is taken. There will
be a state dinner, with $50 guests al the
palace in Amsterdam, and there may be :
single state ball at the royal residence al
The Hague. All the other festivities will
be popular fetes. For ten days the youns
Queen will be among her people, and vii
join IN all their rejoicings over her public
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