The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-22
A Ruler Who Survived Every Con.
temporary Of Her CoTonation--Her
Gentle Domestic NatuTe--EventS
Of Her Reign.

In the li,isri .Eonth OF May, it's cath
DAY. 1919 Victoria was born and chris
tened Alexandria Victoria After the
fashion OF princes, she was born almost
In the presence of tho Dukes of yelling.
ton and Sussex. the archbishop Of Can
terbury and the bishop OF London, the
Marquis Of Lsnsdownc. Mr.. Canning,
Earl Bathurst and another.
Her father, the Duke of Kent. wept for
Joy, because the line of his father, George
Ill, had been running ont, and ID months
previously the only child Of George ~
died in childbirth, her infant never living.
Other brothers Of that profigate king
were incapable of producing royal off
spring. having wasted their youth with
mattresses. For the purpose of begetting
IN heir Kent selected a bride already a
widow and easily mother of children
by her old first husband. the Prince of
Leiningen, % years her senior
She was 81. and in . months and IL
days after the second marriage ceremony
Kent espoused her also i'm Germany
this sister of Leopold, the widowed
prince consort, bore third child, Vic
toria-
Two other brothers of Kent married
The same summer merely to have heirs
Ind keep the crown. Clarence's wife
had two children who took precedence
bf Victoria. but they coon died. There
was said to be a taint In the Georgian
family.
But the Coburgers, raised poor and
plain, worked steadily for the thrones
else vacated by the families Of wild, rich
princes. Leopold Of Saxe-Coburg thus,
losing his heir. gave his sister to Kent
and married his child Victoria to his
nephew Albert. and himself received the
khrone OF the Belgians. Persons curious
10 know the private life OF Leopold. the
William the Norman Of the present
princely raceof England, can read the life
bf his mistress-wife. Katharine Bauer.
Victoria .;is thus me grandchild Of
George Ill. who was the son Of the
Prince OF Wales, but not of any king.
George Ill died Jan. 90, 1920. when Vic
toria was months old, and before that
date victorias father died. SO that she
had no memory of Kent. She had been
previously christened in Kensington pal
ace. London, where she was born, and
her German mothers name was also Vic
toria
Kent had married bonded for his
debts. and the widow was dependent on
her brother Leopold and her brothers-in-
law George and Clarence, two unprin-
cipled men In 1880 George " died
after having endeavored to worry Vic
torla's respectable mother and force the
royal child into the corrupt precincts Of
mis- court, where he had at the same time
three wives.
About three months after the birth Of
Victoria her future husband was born.
Albert is teething like his little cousin"
wrote the keen old matchmaker, Widow
Coburg; "the little fellow is the pendant
20 his pretty cousin
AT nine years old Victoria's half sister
was married Clarence had become king
under the title OF William Nv and lived
till Victoria was Is years old. This man
was a naval officer and had been in New
York city during the Revolution and was
the friend of both Benedict Arnold aud
Lord Nelson. He was neither better nor
worse than the scdden offspring Of
George ILL., and having had large fam
lily by an actress. Mrs. Jordon, he turned
her adrift to starye after he became king
and married, hopeful of legitimate heir.
with German princess As he was 65
years old, however. legitimate children
did not materialize, and his bastards made
~ free with his palace that Victoria's
mother withheld her child from such so
ciety
One day when tho slender girl OF 10
was taking state dinner with her moth
er and her future husband, Albert, at
Windsor palace, the ugly, amiable Queen
Adelaide toasted her drunken husband,
who thereupon broke into TRADE on the
the Duchess of Kent. The Princess VIC
toria shall appear at my court, he cried.
''It is her duty TO doso" Victoria burst
into tears. but not so her sober and cool
Coburger mother, who knew that If she
watched the old man long enough his
cherry brandy would set them free.
Prince Albert was not surprised. His
own mother had separated from his fa-
ther when he was years old. and Al
bert had hardly ever seen her afterward
till she died in his. twelfth year. He
noted that Victoria was rather disas
pointed In bin. The next year the king
died. his surviving brother became king
of Hanover. a.6 Victoria was the virgin
queen of Enslnnd This news was an.
bounced TO Der nj 8 O'Clock in the morn
ing by q messenger from Windsor. She
received IL in loose hair and q shawl
thrown over her nightdress and only
slippers upon her feet.
Kept poor. she had preserved her mind,
morals aud habits TO date when pro
fusion could not spoil her. She had been
brought mp wholly in The German style.
and when the ecclesiastics. cabinet. etc,
came 80 swear Allegiance 10 her ,hs sane