The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-12
HOW ROYAL BABIES PLAY.
Their Toys Pns--on From Generation
to Generation.
(From the Roral sLagazine.l

tFFom the Royal MagaZine.)
I or all the branches of the English royal
family the Battenberg is the most unas-
Stunning in its manners, and the simplest
in its way of living. The children Of very
many commoners' families are brought up
with infinitely more state than the Batten-
bsrgs. and in luxury that would open the
eyes OF these princes and princesses. Rare
and valuable toys were never seen IN the
Batternberg nursery; the children had to
content themselves with plain story books
scrap books, gardening utensils, cheap
( dolls, and such toys as all of us played
with when We were young. The
Duchess of Albany has always had the
strictest ideas with regard to toys for her
children, and has specially directed their
minds toward the animal world in ehoos-
ing their playthings and playfellows.
Christmas was a busy time at Claremont
as doubtless it will be in their new home.
The pleasure in the toys given away to the
children on the estate was always much
enhanced by the fact that they were pre-
scented by the Duchess of Albany or by the
young duke. Strange TO say, the latter's
sister takes more pleasure in her ponies
than she ever did in her dolls.
a very amusing photograph is that of
Prince Arthur of Connaught in the toy
uniform of a grenadier. 1t was thus he
appeared at Princess Beat:iees wedding.
The solemn. almost stern, expression on
his fat little face is delightful. He fully
appreciates the dignity his uniform i'm
parts.
The old toys which once belonged to the
Queens children are brought down from
those top shelves to which they were rele-
gated long ago. during the holidays at
Osborne, and for as long as the holidays
last the children Of the younger generation
are allowed to play with them. This is an
anxious time for the nurses, for they are
held responsible for the safety of the rel
les and extreme care is taken in order to
preserve the old toys; for the Queen Is
very fond OF them, remembers each one.
and asks for any which may not happen
to appear
There is a fortress. which was an espe-
clal favorite with the Prince Of Wales It
has been played with during the Christmas
holidays many a time by the late Duke
of Clarence and the Duke OF York when
they were boys, and Is now looked at with
intense interest by the baby blue eyes of
the Duke OF York's children.
The little brass guns of this fortress
were mounted in their present position by
the Duke OF Saxe-Coburg. whose fingers
were always apt at delicate work, from
the driving of screw to the welding of
a violin bow Some Of the mechanical ami
mas. which were toys III the
eos than they are now, can still be made
to work. and the little fat hands are
clapped with JOY in the Osborne nursery
today when Il wooliy dog ambles along
the floor with ungainly leaps and the skin
elephant moves his trunk up and down,
while the mouth opens and shuts. These
give as keen a sense OF delight to the
third or fourth generations as they did
TO the little ones in the Windsor nursery
long ago. There is a certain bagatelle
board which the Queens sens played with.
1t is often brought out for the children in
the Christmas holidays.
No less than the Kaiser's children. those
Of the Russian imperial family undergo a
military education. and are from earliest
years familiarized, through the medium of
toys and picture books. with the working
Of guns the uniforms of various regiments,
and the military history of their country.
Needless to say the toys of the German
imperial family are military in character.
and their taste is shared by the little King
OF Spain.
The favorite toys of the little Queen of
Holland were always the dainty gardening
implements with which she worked for an
hour every day when al Het Loo, her sim
pie hcme near The Hague. The love of
things horticultural is almost a natural
instinct with the Dutch. the nation of gar
deneTs, and the tiny beds in the piece OF
ground set apart IS the miniature real
garden were raked hoed. and planted by
little Queen Wilhelmina herself, unas-
sisted except infthe heavier work of dig
ging.