The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-23
A ROYAL GIFT TO BELGIUM.
King LeOpOId's Donation of Mag
nihcent Private Property.

CFTom the London Staadard.)
King Leopold OF Belgium has celebrated
his sixty-fifth birthday in truly royal
fashion by presenting to the nation such
Of his palaces as are his private property.
The GIFT is OF great pecrniary value IN II
self, but II will, no doubt, be priced by
the country far more for the princely
feeling which dictated IL than for the ad-
dition. considerable as that is, which il
makes TO the national domains. In his
message to the Minister Of the Interior
announcing the gift. King Leopold ex-
planned that the appanages thus handed
over contribute Ia the charm and beauty
Of the localities in which they are situ-
ated,'' and that he Is anxious lest az some
future time their purpose should be de-
stroyed, 10 the detriment OF the beauty and
salubrity Of various populous localities"
Il is not difficult 10 perceive that the
King, In penning these words, had pri-
mariIy In his mind the Chateau OF Laeken,
situated in a populous and growing sub
urb OF Brussels, with which IL is connected
by train and tramcar, and the well known
Chalet on the sands Of Ostend, for which,
it is understood. at least one offer has
been made by an English syndicate aDx-
ious to increase still further the attrac-
lions Of that seductive watering place
Laeken is the Versailles OF the Belgian
Court, and Is at once so splendid and so
convenient a residence that Il is not sur
pTising that the rather depressing rec
tangulaT palace overlooking the park in
Brussels should usually be deserted in its
favor. The Palais du Poi is. indeed. an ex-
cellent example of that banal method. at
once sombre and pretentiOus. which haunts
the architects OF urban royal residences.
This building, however. is already the
property Of the nation. King Leopold has
always exhibited the warmest affection for
Laeken. and has unQuestionably spent
great sums in improving and adjoining il.
a few years ago he suffered the mortifca-
ton of seeing it partially burned down,
but he did not rest until he had recon-
structed it with considerable magnifcence
and with broad adherence to the original
plan.
1t cannot be said Of any Of the Belgian
royal abodes that they are either very his
toric or very ancient, and Laeken. which
is the most interesting among them. dat s
back only to 1852. II was built by the
Archduke Albert when he was Governor
OF the Low Countries. and fits most famous
occupant WAS Napoleon l. who possessed
it from 1902 to 1914. II was, indeed. at
Laeken that he took the most fatal step in
his career, for there he signed that decla-
ration of war against Russia which speed
lily involved him in irretrievable disaster
What Laeken lacks in historical assoeia-
tons is amply compensated for by the
beauty OF its gardens and park King
Leopold is a great horticulturist and the
Orangery, the winter gardens and the prob
ably unique ranges OF conservatories
which he has created are famous in the
annals of garden craft. His father Leo
pold 1, began the aggrandize ment of this
fairy palace IN classical taste by buying
up several adjoining properties and an
neXing them to the comparatively modest
domain which he found when he accepted
the crown Of Belgium. The park and
woods extend for miles, and are far more
attractive and diversified than anything
lie Notre created on the sands of YER
sailles.
Tie Kings seaside residence AT Ostend
couples a very agreeable marine situation
in full view of the incoming mail steamers
but it is quite unpretending, and is. IN
deed little more than a wooden chalet
1t is Urdesstood to have been a gift from
Queer Victoria 10 her Belgian cousin who
is allied to her by the double tie of Sake
| Cobucg blood ana relationship to the idol.
lied princess Charlotte, who. IL will be-
| remembered, was the first wife of Kfne
Leopold I. The most rural and to MANY
minds by far the most attractive. of the
| three residences which this regal gift I:
believed TO comprise Is Ciergnon a hunt.
| ing lodge in the heart Of the most roman
| tic scenery In the -AIusG-es Built bJ
Leopold IN the neighborhood of the old
| er Chateau dArdenne, and improved By
| his successor, until IL Is now, perbaps
somewhat luxurious for its nominal pur.
pose, its surroundings form natural "par.
adlse" for every description of iiv M
thing yet to be found in the land of st
/ Hubert In the Forest of Arden tie o.,
legends find still a SECURE hiding place
and the simple Ardennais peasant woult
as soon think of doubling the failed ex
ploits OF the -Four Sons Of Aynon an,
their marvellous horse Bayard as OF ques
| tiontng the story of the miraculous sta
seen by their patron saint il these yer
woodlands.