New-York tribune., 1902-10-09
QUEEN OF THE BELGlANS.
CHARACTERISTIC OF MARIE HENRI
ETIE-HER LITERARY TASTES
LOVE FOR HORSES
AND DOGS
Brussels. September -

Brussels September -.
The Belgian people seem only nov to have be
come aware Of what an exceptionally gifted
woman the Queen was In her lifetime Queen
Marie HenrieJte was certainly never understood
oy the people. or, FOR that matter. BY the Bel
gan nobility either. Only 10 a narrow circle OF
ner intlrnates was il known what superior in
tellect was the Queens and how wide was the
range Of her accomplishments The general
reading public will however. soon have the
opportunity TO Judge What manner of person
the Queen really was as her Memoirs are
shortly 70 be- published. simultaneously in
French and German. As an aUthOress Queen
Marie Henriett- win doubtless take high rank.
The range OF her published writings was a wide
one, from the opera. wpitten several years ago
and played al Budapest and Brussels. 10 the
treatise on hOrsemanship. composed originally
for the benefit OF her youngest daughter. Prin-
cess Cl-mentine- The Queen had. besides. pub
lished for private circulation among her inti-
mates, volume Of poems in German
While the Queen took no active part in poll
tics. she was passiOnateIy interested in all mat
ters pertaining 20 sport. art and literature Her
love for horses is, Of course. well known; riding
was ever her ravorite pastime and it was on
account OF the liberty she enjoyed there, in this
regard, that Spa was her favorite place OF resi-
dence. While the Queen always lived in the
simplest manner possible at her villa in the little
Belgian watering place. she invariably had at
least eighteen horses there. Every morning
regularly al o'clock she personally attended
10 the training OF these horses. She made them
jump obstacles and put them through various
other exercises. in which she greatly
sisted by VI. Wulff. the manager OF the Brussels
Royal Circus At the Chateau Of Laeken the
Queen likewise spent much of her time at her
wonderfully clever in the art OF breaking in
and training young horses. and several OF her
pupils" which she had presented 20 NJ wulf
performed at the royal circus. On many ocCa-
sions the Queen herself organized circus per
formanc-s at the Laeken stables, 70 which she
invited the officers in attendance at the chateau
and few friends
Queen Marie Henriette's fsvorite horse of all
was called Kiss Me quick This the first
horse ever ridden hy the young COmte de- Hal
Eaut. the Queens only At the young
Princes funeral Kiss Ne Quick followed, ac-
roriing 70 custom with one shoe removed. limp
ing behind the hearse From that time it
was the Queen alone who cared for Kiss Me
quick. When the animal died few years ago.
Iadsu with years and honoUs, the Queen was
deeply affected for with the horses death dis
appeared one Of the last souvenirs OF her only
son.
The Queens dogs and parrots held almost as
Important A part in her affections as did her
horses Her dogs long ago became known in
Belgium They ere certainly the most ill be-
havsd animals that could BE- imagined. as many
q lady in waiting or officer tu attendance upon
her majesty knew 20 their cost. for. as soon as
anv person entered the royal drawing room
tho Queens rv.o "Erdoue' Immediately sprang
AZ -he unfortunate visitor. barking violently.
Ths wilder they were. rhr more pleased was
tneir ROYAL mistress. The Queen likewise vas
extremely fond OF parrots. and had two Congo
IeS- specimens which she had purchased at the
Brussels Exhibition of 1897
The queen was fond OF music. and played the
piano. harp and mandolin with great ease. her
tav0rife instrument being. however. the harp
Her tastes IN matters musical were not classical.
and she frankly admitted that she did not un-
derstand Wagner.
The Queen was extremely charitable. aad
helped many a poor. struggling artist and actor
Her acts oG charity To young actors. particu-
larry those Of the Brussels Royal opera. were
well known. Several operate singers OF renowu
in Paris owe their success in great measure 10
the Queens helping hand.
The following anecdOte shows the Queens
great kindness of heart one summer evening
many years ago little baby girl barely a
week old was discovered hidden in a basket
near the principal gate OF the chateau dr
I.aekeu The Queen became acquainted with
the fact and all efforts 70 discover the parents
Of the child proving uuavaiung. she announced
her intention Of adopting the child herself The
infant was baptized Marie Henriette. the Queen
standing as sodmother. and was placed under
the charge Of "A chiIdIess couple. employees on
the estate Of Laeken Chateau The little Marie
Henriette who IS now a half-srcwn girl was
brought up under the immediate care and su-
pervisiou of her royal godmother. who made
provision for her dowry. and to the end never
ceased % be deeply interested in the welfare OF
her adopted child.
Queen Marie Henriette was one OF the teW
royal women upon u hom the famous PapaI dec
Grafton the Golden Rose, had been bestowed, |
the only other .princesses upon whom the honor
his bean conferred being the Princess Leopold |
Of Bavaria and Queen Amelia Of Portugal