The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-21

All the prlvy councillors had seated
themselves when the folding doors were
thrown in and the queen came in attired
IN a plain morning gown, but wearing a
ture. She read the declaration in a clear
sweet-toned voice. but her hands treua
was able to read the paper which she
The young queen did not believe in long
engagements, and at noon on February TO-
1910, Victoria was welded to Albert in the
While the marriage was a very happy
one SO far as the individuals were con-
kindly to Prince Albert. Yet he was a
gentle, amiable man, shrewd enough to
detect his appropriately, and never to OBJ
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN
to have been not only a great queen and
empress but a great mother of kings,
nearly fifty grandchildren. of her chill
dren the Princess Victoria Adelaide Maria
on November Il, 1S40 The daughter mar
ried in 1858 Crown Prince Frederick Of
crown of United Germany for many
months in 1888 and is the mother of the
Albert Edward. the Prince of Wales,
was born In November. 1S41, who will be-
Emperor of India He married on March
10, 1868. the Princess Alexandria, eldest
daughter of the King of Denmark. Seven
other children were born to queen as
follows: Alice Maud Mary, born April Is.
Grand Duke of Eesse and who died De
cenber Il. 1873; Alfred Ernest Albert. Duke
Gotha. born August 6, 1874 and married
on January g. 1874, to the Grand Duchess
Marie of Russia: Helena Augusta Vic
toria, born May >, 1876. and married July
5, 1866, to Prince Frederick Christian of
Sehleswi g-Holstein Louise Caroline Al
March p. 1871, to John. Marquis of I1orne;
1850 and married March Is, 1879 to the
Princess Louise Margaret, daughter of
the late Prince Frederick Charles of Prus-
STA: Leopold. Duke of Albany, born April
Z, 1858, and married April q, 1882 to the
Prince George Of Waldeck, and who died
March Is 1884. and Beatrice Mary Vic
toria Fedora, who ~ was Is. born April Il 1857,
and married July ., 1873. to Prince Henry
Maurice Of Battenburgs
VICTORIA'S HOME LIFE
The queen learned from her German
mother the excellent habit of early rising
which stood her in good stead during a.
busy and laborious life.
Dressing a queen is by no means the
heightened and elaborate process it. used
to be, when to dress the hair alone took
two hours; and in order to lessen the
dressed either held in her peignor small
reception of her friends and acquAint-
ances, or had reader to minister to her
mind while her head was being attended
to. For the thirty-seven years of the
queens widowhood, the only changes in
her dress was the slight modification of
her widows mourning in accordance with
the alterations in the fashions of the day
and the march of time
The queen always breakfasted privately
that is, in her private rooms with such
members of her family as were present
with her. Even when she honoreG for
eign royalties and her subjects with her
visits, the practice has always been
strictly maintained. Doubtless it has af-
forded necessary relief from the for
mality and ceremony of other meals
In summer, both in England and on the
continent, the queen liked to breakfast IN
a sheltered corner of the lawn or in a
tent in the grounds A lover of the open
air, of open windows and open carriages,
well nigh to excess, seeing that rheu-
matism had attacked her, her majesty
sought every opportunity of enjoying sea
Dr6GZeS
One of the strongest features in Queen
atty Like all sensible people. the queen
elected that, unless when exceptions must
be made, the business OF the day must
be undertaken in the morning hours. The
mere mechanical act of appending her
signature to the scores, hundreds nay,
thousands of papers which 1t franks-so
to speak, was in itself a. toisome task.
least of her work. From the eommenae-
ment of her reign, and notably after her
well accredited fact that her majesty
would sign no paper which was not a
mere certificate of appointment OF a COM
mission unless she made herself acquaint-
ed with the contents by having them read
and discussed in her hearing This. con-
form. The queen took pains to master
tious phraseology Of state documents She
had long practice in the craft. She profit
foremost statesmen of the century, many
of whom have passed away.
VALUE OF HER EXPERIENCE.
Her great experience and sound common
sense were attributes of infinitely higher
value in the government of a kingdom
than any mere intellectual brilliancy-. Her
opinion was always listened to, not only
with the Difference due to the sovereign,
but with the respect inspired by her ma
tured- knowledge and sagacity-
As a climax to the ordinary business of
every lawful day, at intervals the queen
received her ministers and held her cabi-
she sat at the head of the council board,
the only woman present Since the prince
consort's lamented DEATH she was unsup-
ported by any member of her family Lib
eEal or Conservative, during her reign or
upward of sixty years; She was the great
est authority on precedent the one to
be appealed to where the annals of past
years were in question.
Even cabinet councils did not exhaust
the routine of business whose issues were
of the gravest with which the queen val
iantly and indefatigably contended in JOY
the infirmfties Of age When troubles
-rurnOrs of war Vexed the nation, even
when a change of ministry was inpera-
tive or when the country was in the
throcS of a general election, cOuriers and
which We're bound to be heard. and infor-
nation which had TO be considered In
this light one can understand the half
happy half pathetic sigh of relief with
which the queen noted in one of the pass
ages of her journal, as the crowning
charm of a remote highland retreat in
which she took refuge for few days,
that it was wei nigh beyond the radius Of
If the real business Of the queens day
was DISPATCHED quickly enough, she went
out for what was once a walk, and later
in life a donkey drive in the private
grounds Luncheon, which followed, was
q less private meal than breakfast, when
the queen. if so disposed, met the mem
bers of her household, the guests staying
at the palace or the privileged visitors
who arrived for luncheon. Princess
Christian and her eldest daughter-to
whom the queen was very much attached
were near neighbOrs of her majesty
when she was at Windsor and they were
at Cumberland Lodge. They lunched often
with her. The Prince and Princess of
Wales, with their unmarried princess,
came down from London, the Duke and
| Duchess of York, the Duchess of Albany
from C1aremOnt.
After luncheon the queen. often in def
ance of the weather, took a couple of
hours drive, generally accompanied by
| Princess Henry of Battenburg, with or
1 without ladies-in-Waiting. OF q maid of