The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-04
HARDSHIPS OF REAL
LIFE PRINCES
AND PRINCESSES
Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia
Has Told of Some.

Many children think it would be a.
nice thing to be a prince or princess.
But in truth it is only in story books
that royal children have such delight
full times.
In real life they generally are
brought up under the strictest disci-
pline, surrounded at all times by gov
ernors and tutors; and they must con-
duct themselves according to a set of
rules and regulations which to healthy
children must be most aggravating
and annoying.
The Princess Elizabeth, daughter OF
the Queen of Bohemia, has left in her
letters an account of the manner in
which she was obliged to approach
the dinner table when she and her
brothers and sisters were receiving
their education in Holland.
The children had their dinner at II
o'clock. They boys entered the din
ing-room first and formed in a line
while their teachers and gentlemen
in waiting" lined up behind them.
Then came the little princesses.
Each princess. as she entered the
room made deep curtsy to her broth
ers to which they responded with a
low bow. Then the princess curt
syed again to the schoolmasters and
others behind the princess, but not so
low as to her brothers.
She then went around the table and
stood opposite her brothers and gave
them another curtsy, very low. Turn
ing to her goVerness she again curt
syed slightly
The governess made a low curtsy
in return.
The princess now took off her
| gloves, which she was required to
wear when she entered the dining
room and handed them to an attend
ant with another curtsy.
Having done this, she curtsyed to
her brothers and a man came to her
with basin of water in which she
washed her hands, dropping the holder
OF the basin curtsy for his pains
After grace was said, all standing
meantime. the princess made another
curtsy and ninth and final one just
as she took her seat at the table.
Each princess had to go through
| this ceremony as she came in to din
ner and as there were five of them.
1t took some time to get the children
all seated at the table.
The little princes, of course, hat 20
respond gravely with a low bow to
every curtsy that their sisters made
to them, and they stood in a line bob-
! were seated. So it was half an hour
after the sharp appetites of the chill
dren and the hands of the castle clock
nad announced the dinner hour before
the children were actually eating.
The boys were allowed to have four
hours day for exercise and play; all
the rest of the time, when they were
not eating or sleeping, they were
studying law, history, mathematics,
languages and theology
The girls were allowed to have
scarcely any time for play; but when
not at their lessons they were engaged
In. their sewing and embroidery.
Their food was plain and limited In
quantity and they knew each day what
they were to have to eat, for every
Monday they had, the same dishes, the
same every Tuesday and so on
They attended morning and evening
prayers, and listened to a short SER
mon every dav.
On Sunday after church they had
10 SIT down and write out as much as
they could remember of the sermon
they had heard, and twice a week
learned ministers or college profess
sorS lectured to the children while
they were at dinner.
The children did not have a very
gay time of it on the whole and fire.
quently used to envy the children of
the peasants around the castle, who
had rag dolls, made mud pies and
were allowed any amount of time for
play.
Being prince or princess is very
well in some ways, but there is little
fun in it.