New-York tribune., 1902-08-10
THE ROYAL INVALID AT SPA.
OFTEN MAIZE HENRIETTE OF BELGIUM
DYING IN sECLUsIoN AND SORROW.

Dy1~c IN sFCLUSION AND SORROW.
ora Of the most pathetic pictures Of the day fs
that of Queen Marie Henriette Struggling WIZ
,T, --er extraordinary against the universal enc
nv in her chateau At Spa, with nausnt OUT ths
"reminiscences Of the past for companions Inc
world hears that end cannot De lar distant ana
| 1-o7dars at her isolation. at the absence OF al
- ~ +bev were in the ordinary walks OF HE.
would have surrounded her with the love ana care
that only ones own can give TO unoersCaao' low
ever we must recall the incidents wnlcn nave COM
bfDed to blight the life OF destined to sir upon
throne, but never 10 AIlO" '-I0 7 -
| happiness
Irnbued with the pride Of the Austrian royai
| house unbendirg. perhaps Inspired oy Inat supe.
/ stition which leads many or the olooo rosa4 70
repose their faith in the so-caIed divine risn' q
5s che never fully understood the rational free
dom OF the democracy OF Belgium the counIry sns
| adopted as the bride OF Prince Leopold. OuAe o
! Brabant At twenty-nire she became queen O1-
not the Queen she had dreamed OF In neT nons
among the Hapsburgs. where such personages "els
sr-rourdsa nv barrier Of etiquette bordering a.
most on fanaticisu- In Belgium the court IaS
maintained far more wholesome reIatlonsn4p Win
the people. it's usages and etiquette oelns 'ess
teptatious thanks that spirit OF equality ana 70
the abhor-euce OF class distinctions that nave al
ways characterized the nation
~, :, tire famous Chateau OF Schonorunn
where the i'll fated Duke OF RelcnStadt ored.aeu
his last she attracted much attention az the AUS
t-ia, co1r+ at an early age by her quiet dsnlned
| beauty and aueenly bearing. When sne was OILY
seventeen King Leopold I. q proud S4Ne-oOOuls'
the first Belgian King. sought an alliance LOT MS
eldest SON the Duke OF Brabant, and preferred 70
an others union with either the Hapsourgs OF ms
| tIorsnzoIIerus. The duke was a stTlklnsly nsno-
some lad Of eighteen. and willing 20 "eu l.'
beautiful archduchess. marriage was arranse1'
and Marie Henriette left her home and became tns
| Duchess Of Brabant, IN Brussels Oh He4 S0
teenth birthday
Her first trouble was experienced IN tne laInNS
! circle where she should have FOUND notnlns
brt hardness but where her severe Tatner-in-1a"
made existence almost intolerabie. dong n1uen,
Is said toward ernbittering her entire life oy nis
| unreasonable mania for discipline She had been
brought up as daUntless horsewornan ana sh01l-
" after her arrival IL Brussels the King expressed
himself as shocked at her feats OF horseUlanshlp
and as head OF the family. took 1t upon himself on
mora than one occasion to administer punish
ment by shutting the young princess IN her apart
ments despite the Protestatioas or heT lndlsnaa-
husband Those who remainder the pre'ty orI9 @
and who had access to the court III those days
recall with chagrn the mortifyfng, bitter reprools
she vas accustomed to receive from the late h1hs.
Belgium, she found vastly different frora her Own
country. but as Duchess of Rraoant she enteFe1
heart and soul into her new life, saying : VIII
show the Belgian people that 1 can make them
mine anu become one of them In ls6S she and ger
husband made their entry into Brussels as AIhs
and Queen. and when once upon the throne laS
Queens highest ambitions were, nrSt. 70 mo su~-
Bile mates for her chiIdrer-and FOR her daughters
she dreamed of steps TO other throzes-aEd Sec
end to please her adopted people. But her hopes
regarding her children were never realized
In IS6s, four years after Leopold II ascsnded tne
throne Of Belgium. their only son. the Conte de
Hainaut. only years OF age. died and LIS
death struck the blow from which his mother mas
never recovered The Saiic law prevails in BEL
GUM and thus excludes the princesses from the
succession which passes the Kings brother. the
Count of Flanders. who. owing 10 extreme deal-
ness and desire fer an unos1entatious Aie Aie,ns Ia
Albert snUuId I1lng Leopold aIe oeIcre his brotner
Three years after the deaJn OF the SonIe .oIs ~
HaInauI announcer cnild was born, and the Wnolo
the 0Gedn met With oIeter disappointment TO-
this cnnd was the Princess CIsmeI.tine- In lsiS
Princess Louise. TIE eldest child. whose stoEg -
painful 10 GweIl upon, married Prince Fafs FL-p "a
SaAe-LoDuIs, and the u.Eon 1Iot5 tne u.tol r,os1s
woli'a.. ; Ii.'', 80, r.I-,otc 9,sias sfn and
brightest OF auspices 10 tne unIortundss s
t IN tIS N rsTrrn n teIea1 princess
cnynsoyt for Ins future Emperor of Austria. All the
world knows OF the tr2seGy OF Meyerlns anu o-s 20
romance of the widowed Stephane. who Tor ye@easS
has seen her mother. ana who LOT i9Vs ,0s "a
the whom she chose herself the second uiA'
As for Princess ClementiRe. she has ever 6eiofs of
hces to persuade her to remain IN what she COR
pisappointmonT and sorrow have been the key
notes OF this sad queens NE ana the Iolto1T IrntT
betray the heIrtaches she has suffered IN siien0o
long. Let the Princess Albert Cherish her infant
bOy long she has MIN ACr nSFSelL
Once shO was beloved at home. where her peopts
found in Queen TO respect artists anu S1S Iat
clans an enthusiastic patron. and BrusSelS sossS
its most accomplished and refined IDEAL IN s tn0Se
plshed haTpIst and hardy spoTtswcnlan drlFltns
and riding 10 rival the best in her land NOW HSl
harp is set aside with deep regret. Tor the Is9SL
have no strength to sound the strings ana IlS
orIy nIsas1Ire She can derive from her LUXURIOUS
stables is to watch the superb animals tom 1
windows Now there is no trace or Jne oedut.A.-
Austrian archduchess in the tired srlst worn 80
tenanea Of the nyaia At Spa to Whg dsis e's having
been burned in recent fire at the chateau u
Laeken. -. +,e NJ
There is indeed a sad contrast between sI.- lns r.
ness of the Belgian Queen and that OF Lhe hrons SO
and Charming personality who occupies the th,Us s
of the Netherlands For her the s01cltuae Eor
woridxide Drawers were offered everywnere- -
Marie Henrfette there remains only q Ed5Se
ory of the past and word or syrnpaSnIys fro- fne
worid dI,rin the last few years and in SORROW anu
seclusion she will breathe her aSf