The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-27
BRITAIN'S NEW QUEEN
ALEXANDRA LONG BELOVED BY THE
PEOPLE OF ENGLAND.
Model Housewife and Friend and
Benefactor of the Poor-Her
COurtship and Marriage.


from one of the most wonderful Of royal
families, that of Denmark. a nursery of
kings and queens. What a family it Isl
1t has furnished a Czarina for the Rus
SLAMS, the Queen of Britain, ruling mon
arch for unfortunate Greece and no end
of princes and princesses in alliance with
their equals in other reigning houses.
In the spring of 1863 a fair girl of eight
cen crossed London bridge. She was the
central figure in procession which hun
dreds of thousands had come forth TO see
and over whom, as a writer OF the day re-
marked, call London went mad" Three
days passed and the girl Of eighteen be-
came prospective queen of the greatest en-
pire on earth. Few members Of a royal
house have so completely won the affec-
tons Of nation as the ''sea Kings daugh-
ter"
1t was in the year after his American
tour that the then Prince of Wales met
Princess Alexandra. The prince paid
visit to the Rhine ostensibly to witness
some Prussian military maneuvers In real
ity to make the acquaintance of his future
wife. The meeting took place in the cathe-
oral at Worms, where the courtship may
be said TO have commenced.
Though the prince had gone abroad with
the intention of visiting Princess Alex
andra this meeting in the cathedral was
purely accidental. The favorable impress
sion upon the prince was reciprocated, and
for months afterward London and Copen-
| hagen talked of nothing but the forthcom-
| ing wedding.
The announcement of the engagement
was made Jan. 10, 1868, the princess landed
| at Gravesend on March and the wedding
| took place three days later in St. Georges
| Chapel, Windsor, which had not been the
| scene Of royal marriage for over seven
centuries. The Archbishop of Canterbury
performed the ceremony in the presence Of
| the Queen.
During the years of her marriage Alex
| andra, of Wales, has steadily grown in the
affection of her adopted country, and her
/ appearance in public anywhere has always
/ been the signal for genuine enthusiasm
/ Like the throne of Queen Victoria, her
position is broad, based upon the peoples
| will"
The new Queen of Great Britain is a
| woman of pure life and of most lovable
| character. 1t is said by those who should
know that she not only has the same
| charm of face as her mother, but the same
| exceptional brightness, the same heart of
| gold. She is jealous churchwoman and
| is devoted TO many unostentatious chari-
| ties.
queen Alexandra was born Dec. 1, 1884,
| yet she is almost youthful In appearance
| She has firmly established herself in the
hearts of the British people, becoming
| herself thoroughly British, and 1t may be
| said in no barren and conventional sense
| that she is greatly beloved by Britons with
/ out distinction of party, creed or caste.
| Queen Alexandra owes much, no doubt
/ TO her royal name and circumstances, but
| it is not these things that have established
/ her fame throughout civilization. The in
| nate kindness of heart and pity for the
| poor which have been characteristic of
her life have done far more to make the
| name of Alexandra esteemed and loved
| than all the high titles conferred upon her
| by birth and favor.
One of the many social schemes with
which the Queen has been associated is
| Alexandra House, Kensington, a home for
! female students in art, science and music.
| There are fifty or sixty suites of rooms,
| each suite accommodating two students.
Her letter 10 the Lord Mayor of London,
| pleading for the poorest of the poor,
| made the diamond jubilee a happy event
| in thousands of houses where happiness
seldom reigns, and 100000 of London's poor
est poor responded to the toast of 1.-The
| Good Princess with as much heartiness
as ever the toast called forth in more fash
ionable surroundings. 1t this occa-
sion that Sir Thomas Upton sent his check
for $l25.OO0 to the Princess of Wales.
| The Queen is a model housewife, as all
| those testify who have experienced the
| pleasure of a visit TO Sandringham, the
| Norfolk home of the Queen. The interes.
| taken in the village and its people by both
the present Queen and King Is evident on
| every hand. and many stories are told of
| the Queens kindly attention to the needs of
her humber neighbors.
Everybody. has heard of the model dairy
| at Sandringham. There the Queen, while
| Princess of Wales, spent much OF her time
| when at home. making butter, in apron and
| sleeves, on the marble counter running
| around the room. 1t is a pretty Swiss
| cottage containing five rooms, and there
| the Queen frequently entertained her
friends at tea, dispensing with all social
| restrictions.
Five children have been born TO the royal
! ccuple--Albert Victor, who was cut down
in the flower of his youth; George Freder-
| lex, now the Duke of York and heir APP
parent. born I'm 1865; Princess Louise Vic.
toria, now Duchess of Fife; Princess Vic
! toria Alexandra and Princess Maud, mar
ried TO Prince Charles of Denmark.