The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-02-10
For Which Queen of England
Was RidicuIed,
VICTORIA JOkED HER
Because She Would Wear an
Apron.

/ ness and kindness of heart are the most
prominet traits in that of Alexandra
Since Tennyson sang his ringing ode of
welcome to her as youthful bride she
has lived in the public eye. and now, as
queen regent she viii be constantly be
fore the herce light that beats upon a
throne
But Of her childhood and youth but lit
tie has heretofore been known; she came
to England as sea Kings daughter
from over the sea-" a fairy princess
from land Of which the average Eng
nshman knew little and cared less.
They admired her girlish beauty, but
they knew that the royal family Of Den
max was poor; and as subjects Of Il
great commercial nation commanding the
trade Of the world, feeling of contempt
was blended with their loyalty There
was only one anecdote in circulation re-
garding her which met with universal
acceptance, and that was regarding her
poverty and the s1enderness Of her uous-
seau Il think I have noticed" said the
queen to her shortly after she had be-
come a member Of the royal family Of
Great Britain, that you always wear a
jacket
Yes. replied Alexandra, still shy and
embarrassed in the presence Of her moth
er-in-law, Il have quite a number of
skirts but very few complete gowns, and
so I always wear a jacket during the
morning hours"
This anecdote, whether true of false,
struck the keynote to a hundred others
all dwelling on the poverty of Alexandra
and her relatives. 1t was not a kindly
form Of welcome to extend TO a youthful
bride, but it was highly characteristic Of
a .money-making people
The wits of the London press repre-
scented the Danish king and queen as
/ shivering in their bleak, icv-cold palace
! at Copenhagen and anxiously awaiting
remittances from their new son-in-law
with perhaps a gift of Goals at Christ
| mas
The simplicity of the family life at the
Danish court did not appeal to the Eng
! lish imagination, though they of all peo-
/ pie profess to admire the domestic vir-
! tues. Their future queen should have
| brought to them not smiles and bushes,
but big dowery. Her beauty and sweet
ness % character scarcely compensated
for the fact that she was poor.
There was a certain truth in the word
pictures Of the English satirists, but they
left out the homey beauty of the homo
life Of Alexandra and her sisters. Before
their father. the Duke of Glucksburg. be
came the heir apparent to the throne Of
Denmark. the young girls had made all
their own dresses often being forced to
turn and remake them 10 meet the chang
ing STYLES.
They also made and trimmed their own
hornets in which pastime Alexandra is
still said TO show great skill Indeed.
their life was that of the daughters OF
a middle-class family. who had to keep
up appearances on a small scale.
Alexandra and her sister Dagmar were
on visiting terms with The families of the
army and navy officers of the bureau
cracy Of Denmark Their simplicity and
frank good nature endeared them to every
one
Alexandra was in great request at So
cial gatherings on account Of her skin as
a pianist She plays too well for
princess. was the common criticism;
"she should be an artist"
Perhaps her deafness may now inter
fere a little with this splendid gift
Even after Alexandra's father became
heir apparent to the throne of Denmark
he only received about 1850 a year from
the state and his daughters were forced
to keen UP their old habits Of economy
When she at least reached England as
the bride Of the Prince of Wales her au-
gust mother-in-law found many things 10
criticise besides the wearing Of Jacket
Queen Victoria reminded her daughter
in-law more than once she must not help
herself: must not put on an apron "to
save her gown" adding with QUIET sar-
oasm that she Thought that Albert Ed
ward would be able 70 bug her a new
ono when the old one was worn out.
she thought Alexandra confessed to
plebian education when she essayed 10
open the piano for herself as she was
about to May at a private drawing
room at buckingham palace No princess
since The days Of Borenearfce h9d ever
opened her own piano. and evidently
She had M piano 20 open.
Alexandra and her sister the Dowa ger
Empress Of Russia often meet az Capen-
hagen ana both shake hands with the
old c0achman who drove their carriage
when they were girls. Neither have they
FORGOTTEN the plain private school IN
which they learned their "a p abs to-
rether with the daughters of army and
navy Officers ard CopenhaEen citizens
They have more than once included
the'r Ola schools in their heuefacrions
and the Two sisters are verv free nandai
in their gifss Dagmar when reigning
princess Of Russia had the 1urse ~ For
tunas at her command She had but %
din her hand in and the gold came out
This caused her "a Re csllsd more Eerer-
Gus than Alexandra untii i was asce--
tsinel that the Princes - wales had
rot So nroruse private purse rs hsr in-
re-iai sister But DaEnar proved her,
SELF Il be truly reyal IN the sequsl- fo-
when she heard that tlis criticism was
being made she 6silcately saii That
hereafter the princess Waies should
decide an an questions ~ hsnevolercs.
and that She would rive only what her
sister thoueht best"
QUEEN vICT0RTA's VIII
London Teh a-The latest r1Uc- re-
esrilng Queen Victoria's Nh E that il
hsaueathS about S-o's each 81 the Duke
- ConnsuEh- Princess Christian ct
seh'eswl -Efelstain. Princess Louise aai
Princess Beatrice and leaves hee-s, ,eg-
acies for The Duchess - Albany ans the
Iate queen's Erendrh5l5-en.
The hGik cf her private fortune. how