Evening star., 1901-09-21
THE CROSS OF DAGMAR
ENGLAND CONFERS THREE ROYAL
DECORATIONS ON WOMEN.
Queen Alexandra Has Them All and
Others From Foreign COurts-Queen
Emma HOnOrs a Nun.
Written for The Evening Star.

| Written for The Evening Star
| When the beautiful Princess Alexandra
of Denmark was about to leave that coun-
| try to become the bride of the Prince of
| Wales her father gave her as keepsake
a copy Of what is known as Dagmars
| Cross. a relic held in the greatest rever-
ence by the Danish people, and which now
! reposes in the Museum Of Northern An
| tiquities at Copenhagen.
| This cross contains a splinter Of the true
cross Golden screws fasten the two parts
! of the cross together, the cavity between
being the resting place Of the precious
| splinter. This cross is Of great artistic
| value since it is the only enameled model
known to be older than 1912. 1t is of gold
| and measures one and one-half inches long
| by one inch broad and is covered on either
| side with figures In enamel. On the front
| Christ is depicted on the cross; on the
| back are the figures of Christ; In the CEN
! ter. of ST. Basilius, ST. John Chrysostom,
ST. Mary and ST. John, the Evangelist.
| When good Queen Dagmar, the darling
! queen" Of the Danes, died in 1912, the
| cross was laid upon her breast. In the
| time of Charles the tomb was opened
| and the cross taken away and placed In
the museum. 1t is daily visited by crowds
| of admiring Danes, that talk lovingly Of
| the beautiful queen, who asked neither
goods nor gold, broad acres nor stones of
price as a morning gift, but asked her
| peasantry from heavy tax, and the poor
| prisoners from their fetters.'' 1t Is said
in Denmark that this queen committed no
greater sin than the ''lacing of her silk
sleeves small on Sunday morning
The Dagmar cross given to Princess,
| now Queen Alexandra, by her father, was
copied faithfully in every detail by the
| court jeweler at Copenhagen, and is one
| of the queens most treasured possessions.
Other Valued Jewels.
| Another which r,1aap values
| is that bestowed upon her as member of
| the Order of the Royal Red Cross, one of
| the three honorary titles which in Eng
land can be conferred upon women. The
| other two are the Crown of India and the
| Royal Order of Victoria and Albert The
queen heads the list Of the first class Of
| the latter order, only sovereigns and prin-
cesses Of the highest rank being eligible to
| membership, which now numbers twenty
| three royal ladies'
The latest member is Hollands young
| queen. The coveted order of Holland is
| the Lion of the Netherlands. The first
| time the cross Of the order conferred
| upon woman was when Queen Wilhel-
| nina recently bestowed 1t upon the mo-
| ther superior of the Sisters of Mercy.
Since the death of the Empress of Aus
| tria the emperor has founded q new or
der in her memory and named it St. Eliza
beth. The cross of the order bears an en-
ameled picture of ST. Elizabeth Of Thurin-
| gia and is conferred upon women who
| merit distinction in the various vocations
| of life, or in special religious, humanita-
| rian and philanthropic works. The first
| recipient of the order the Countess
SZapary, upon whom it was bestowed in
| recognition of her devoted services to the
| dead empress in her last hours. The Aus
| trian Star Cross Order is the oldest of the
| eleven orders designed for women in
| rious parts of the world Even the Sultan
| Of Turkey, about twenty years ago, insti-
tuted an order for women. The Shah of
Persia has done the same.
On Naples Ex-Queen.
The only woman who ever had conferred
upon her the order of ST George Of Russia
! is the ex-Queen of Naples. She behaved
with such gallantry at the siege Of Gaeta
| that the czar made an exception in her
| favor and sent her the cross of the order
| The first woman to win the distinction Of
| the decoration for Arts and Science is Car
men Sylvia, who has had it bestowed upon
| her by the Emperor of Austria.
In recognition Of the efforts of his sister,
the Crown Prince of Greece, to relieve
| the wounded of the Turko-Greek war, the
Emperor of Germany conferred upon her the
| Louise order with the red cross engraved
on the medal.
Apropos of the kaiser's own decoration
| he has in all over 200 crosses, stars badges
and other insignia. A curious fact in con-
nection with the golden fleece collar a su-
perbly jeweled affair of high intrinsic value
is that Spain only loans 1T to highly favored
slowed upon President Faure of France a
short time before his death by the Queen Of
Spain had to be returned
Portuguese Order.
An honor obtained by few ladies outside
| of Portugal is the decoration Of St. Isabelle
or the Royal Order of Saint label Queen
Alexandra Of England is member of the
order. 1t was Instituted In 1901 by John VI
or Portugal, at the suggestion Of his wife
queen Carota Joaquina, who chose the dec
orations, the number of ladies and their du-
| ties, which are clearly defined Not count
| Ing the royal family of Portugal and for
| eign royal ladies, the order must contain
| twenty-s six ladies Of title, each twenty-six
years or age or married. Each one is bound
70 visit In turn every week the Founding
| Hospital; on the feast of ST. label. on JuIv
=, each member must attend church. except
| when prevented by illness or absence from
| the Kingdom, and afterward go with the
| queen to the Founding Hospital
| Inc ceremony of entrance to the order is
as 1olloWs: The candidate remains In an
ante-chamber to the room where all the
| members are assembled in rows on each
SIDE or the queen, the eldest lady being
| nearest the queen on the right hand When
the new member Is conducted into the room,
she makes three courtesies, and then kneeIs
| De1ore the queen who places the sash with
| the insignia across the lady's shoulder. saw
| ing. II receive you into the Order of ST
! lzapel, and desire that you will ALWAYS re-
| member the respect you owe to the order
The lady then kisses the queens hand and
| those OF all the ladies present
| -->O>-
| For Indoor Wear,