New-York tribune., 1899-03-26

AND INTERPRETATION Of 'HAYLEr...
PRINCESS BEATRICE As A HOUSE
MAID -sOvEREGGNs AND THEIR
COURT THEATRES
There is such a vast amount of stagness and
tendency TO spectacular display in the EVERYDAY
existence Of Old World royalty that it is din.
cult to understand the pronounced taste of
monarchs and Of princes and princesses of the
blood for such forms Of entertainment as ANA.
teur theatricals. tableauX-yivans and fancy.
dress balls That ordinary folks should occa.
sionally like to adorn themselves with pinch.
beck rogalia Of one kind and another, and to
posture as kings, queens and as scions of soy.
eregn houses, is comprchensue, as royalty
mostly possesses a glamour for those who have
seen too little Of it at close range 70 te
acquainted with its drawbacks. But that those
who are. fguratively speaking, the "Anointed q
the Lord should show 50 much fondness for
masquorading as they do can only be accounted
for by the occasional discomfort Of almost every
human being with his surroundings and bis
mode Of life and a consequent longing ,or the
experience. no matter how brief, Of a different
and perhaps less exalted position.
Thus when Princess Beatrice, youngest daugh-
ter Of Queen Victoria, assumed the role Of SCI.
brette in the amateur theatricals given at 0s-
borne and was ordered about bulled and even
hustled here and there like real bona-hde
"slavey." or housemaiG il must have been
distinct novelty to this buXom and stately royal
woman who by reason Of making her nome all
the year round with her venerable mother shares
to a greater extent the pomp and ceremony
with which the Queen is surrounded than any d
the latters other children.
If any doubt remained as to the yearnlne q
the members Of sovereign houses IN me Vd
World for an occasional change from the monoi'
ony Of a royal existence it would be set at rest
by the eagerness which they have displayed ever
since the days Of the CaliFh Haroun a. RasehN
10 go about among the people in disguise II
was a fayorite form Of amusement on the part
Of the present Kaiser during the first two years
Of his reign. his inyariable companion On theSe
occasions being Count Augustus Euienpurs' 'ns
grand marshal Of his household and II ls ma''
ter not of gossip but Of history that queen i@'
bella of Spain subsequent 10 her marriage Ne'
ouently accompanied her one-ume iaVo'Ns'
Marshal Serano, to all sorts OF places ol pop-'
lar entertainment at Madrid. as well as through
the slums of the city, arrayed, though searcey
disguised, in masculine garb.
II is to this fondness Of royal persohaees i"
masquerading that must be- ascribed the app'@'
ancc before the :ootlghts az 81 PETERSBURG
the clever and accomplished Grand-duke eon
stantine. who : the fayorite cousin ana 'he
most intimate associate Of the young C%df' wv
J. ran 4
dent Of the Imp, rial Academy at ST Peters
burg. and a poet If no mean order mas pe'N W"
gagged in the somewhat arduous task oI "A'
latinc the works of Shakespeare into husS'AD
As is the ease with the majority OF the s'u'eN'
Of Englard's Immortal bard. h@iH'e' Jos
been the play that took his fancy more ."""
any other and with the object ~ oeeonl'hs wv
oughly imbued with the spirit 81 ths piece, D" .
to facilitate him in his task Of rendering
rectly into Russian. be- aNailed him'eh u w..
ouportunity To see il on the stage ua'eN'ns 90
and wide for the purpose.
RUSSIAN IDEAL OF HAMLET
In the long run h. became convinced '.-
there was no, one of the popular actors o
present day who understood the true "''"'''9
his most enigmatic Of all Shakespeare "''"'
and determined to interpret the ro' -
Prince Of Denmark, not only ID lIln'' w.
wisa on the boards. in an altogether ~"
original manner. with this object ID We"
sat to work 70 train a company oi dN'"'' So
act as his support, and last week Tor "' ~.
time he gave at his palace at 81 fe''is'1 ,a
nerformance of the play in the presence % -
Emperor. the Empress and laIse "'1 .,s
t..tflllf
comprising most of the leading m''"'' ,.,,,
Court of ST. Petersburg. There i ~ 49,.
that the Grand-duke gave an eXoeedl"s' ID
and interesting performance of the trase'''
that the staging of the play was in every
or IN, word admirable. since Prince Cons'dn'".
besides being possessed ot huOh ,,.,. ard
and of historic lore, IS extremely y.
WAS unhampered ly any consideid"'