The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-20
MOST POPULAR QUEEN
Dowager Queen Margherita
Most Lovable WQmaA
MEFT HANDtD" MARRIAGE
Will Not Effect Her Rank but
Her Husbands.

Rome, Dec. 1S.-Recent gossip about the
morganatic marriage OF the dowager
queen has aroused much comment:
For more than a quarter of century
the Dowager Queen Margherita of Italy
has been the idol of her people. Through
out the reign of King Hunbert she
shared in his popularity and had the
distinction of being known as the most
beautiful of all the royalties of Europe.
When King Humbert died by the pistol
of an anarchist, on July %, 1900, all Italy
felt the deepest sympathy for The queen
mother. Reports came from the royal
palace that the dowager queen was so
stricken with sorrow that she might
never recover from it,
Although little was seen of her for
many months following the assassina-
ton of the king, her popularity never
waned, nor was it lessened by the acces-
sion of the new queen. AT one time dur
ing the period of royal mourning there
was report that the queen-mother had
decided to retire to a convent. but at
the end of the period of mourning the
dowager queen returned to the gaieties
of court life in a modest way.
Margherita is a most accomplished
woman, besides being the most beautiful
of the royal women. Although fifty-two
years old, she gives the impression of
being woman of not more than thirty,
both in looks and manner. She was ever
fond OF The splendors OF court life, and,
surrounded by masnifcence, she seemed
to be perfectly happy.
AS queen she was at once politician
and diplomat Tactful and brilliant,
she lent to the monarchy a degree of
interest that fell to the lot of few of
the royal families of Europe. She was
fond of The society of men of science,
and during her reign with King Hum
bert she was wont to invite all the great
men of science and letters to the royal
palace For years in Italy there was a
popular saying that it was the first King
Victor Emmanuel who united the country
politically and Margherita who united 1t
morally.
Margherita became queen in 1873 on
the death of Victoria Emmanuel and the
accession OF King Humbert. Soon after
her accession she conceived the idea of
writing a book For many months she
gave herself up to literary study and
the preparation of her manuscript
When the volume had been finished she
read several chapters of it to her init
mates and they were unstihted in its
praises. But this did not satisfy the
queen. who feared that her critics
might be unduly partial owing to her
exalted station Accordingly she sert the
to an Italian publisher anon
ymousIy. only to receive it back in few
eays with a curt note saying that it was
not available The story leaked out and
she got offers from American and Eng
fish publishers for the book, but she
declined to let 1t be published.
If the dowager queen has fad II rs /
for pearls Her collection is considered 1
the most valuable in the world. During |
her reign she was wont to wear pearls |
10 the exclusion of all other kinds of
Jewels. After she had emerged from her
mourning she developed a strong pen
chant for Yachting. For several weeks (!
last summer she cruised along the coast
Of Norway on the English steam yacht !
Iolanthe. which she chartered for the ,
season.
BY her reported morganatic marriage /
the dowager queen does not lose her 4
rank but the condition OF such mar
rage prevents the husband from receiv-
Ing the least royal recognition. In Eu-
rome they are often referred to as left .
handed marriages. for the reason that
in the nuptial ceremony the LETT hand
Is given instead CT the right.