Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-04-23
ROYALTY INFORMAL
ITALIAN KING, QUEEN AND
THEIR GIRL BABIES.
A DEMOCRATIC HOUSEHOL D
Only the Saic Law Shadows Their
Happiness, for Unless There Is
Son the Aostas Succ eed-
Monarch Superintends ChIdrens'
Bath.


Europe that gets so much simple,
democratic, childlike fun out of life
as the young king and queen of Italy
and their two baby daughters, SAYS
a correspondent in Rome of the
Springfield Republican. Some of the
true stories of the kingly "goings-on''
when shielded from the inquisitive
eyes of 35,O00,000 subjects are likely
to be rather surprising TO good folk
who picture mOnarchs as breakfast
ing with their crowns on, and who
fancy that princesses, even of the
tenderest years, conduct themselves
with overpowering dignity. AS a
matter of fact, the lively Princess
Yolanda, eldest child of the Italian
KING and queen, would be referred TO
as a terror" if she were the Off
spring of a private family. But as
she is a royal princess, it is merely
SAID by those who surround her that
she is little vivacious." She is
now Fl months old, talks volubly
partly in Italian and partly in Eng
llsh, and toddles on her fat legs.
railing about like an Indian-rubber
| ball.
The coming to dessert at lunch is
her tiny royal highness's delight,
which is accorded only when she has
been good, but of late her pleasure is
often spoiled by finding baby NAL
falda in possession. This to speak
undiplomatically, she has no use for
her little sister, who cannot play ana
who takes her place in her fathers
arms. 1t doesn't speak we'll for
family discipline that this is to the
king the crowning moment, and every
time it happens it is so irresistibIv
funny that he roars with laughter,
catches his rebellious daughter in his
arms and comforts. her with sweets.
The queen disapproves, and thinks
Yolanda's jealousy should not be
aroused, but even she laughs. and. of
course, after that can find no fault.
1t is a cause of surprise to many of
those who know him how little of a
domestic disciplinarian King Victor
is. In the army he is rigidness itself,
while with his own family he is ex-
actly the contrary. Yolanda does
what she likes with him and he is
the slave of his wife Queen Elena
is devoted to her children; they are
her chief topic of conversation. but
she would like to see her eldest girl
controlled --~~-e more. Nevertheless
when she corrects her his majesty
usually says, LET her alone, Elene;
| she is only baby"
There is one person, however, Of
whom the wee princess stands in
awe, and that is her English gov
erness, Miss Dickens, who promptly
puts a stop to any wilfulness, and
she receives fervent love in return,
which usually takes the form of
sticky kisses and embraces from
| equally sticky hands. Baby" Miss
Dickens says, ''look at this spot on
your dress. How did it get there?'
"Yolanda, always Yolanda, naughty
Yolanda," is the invariable reply,
crowned with a kiss. he other day
| the king was in uniform at the
luncheon table, as he was giving an
audience afterward, and his little
| daughter was on his knees eating
bonbons. Suddenly she chuckled,
seized finger bowl, and deliberately
| spilled the water over Malfalda,
clapping her hands and crying,
"Mafalda's cold BATH"
: This was too much even for the
king, who scolded her, whereupon
| she buried her head in his arm and
| hOwled. When taken away it was
found that her fathers uniform was
one mass of tears and sugar, so that
| he had to change it. 1t seems that
Yolanda has cold bath every morn
ing and is envious of Malfalda, whose
| bath is warmed.
| Scarcely an American father
! spends more time in the nursery than
| the young king of Italy. He clings
to his children with uncommon at
lection. Perhaps the feeling has
been increased by the first five child
less years of his marriage and by his
yearning for a son and heir. He
| has theories about the bringing up
of children which he is trying faith
| fully on his own offspring. For in
stance he believes in cold water ana
sun baths. Both the princesses are
made to sprawl naked in the direct
rays of the sun for from half to
ithree-Quarters Of an hour after their
baths. The king is usually present,
| as he wishes to make sure that the
room is kept at a certain tenn
perature, and because he is the most
successful in keeping Yolanda quiet.
At first the servants were supposed
TO preside. over this ceremony, but
| his majesty undertook it himself
after the day in which his eldest
daughter got quietly on her feet, by
| the aid of a chair and stole out OF
the door, which was not latched, into
the corridor, when the maids atten-
ton was absorbed by the crying
Malfaldo. Unfortunately, the king
was just coming along the hall with
foreign visitor when they were met
! by the little, uncertain, naked figure
which cried papa, papa." King
Victor picked her up and restored her
to the nurse, and that day there
were rucutions in the roal nursery.
The little maid much objects to being
still. and her father has to resort to
some very unkinglike antics to keep
her quiet He usually ends by pre-
tending to be a lear on the floor, and
when this fails he gives her biscuits,
much to the disgust of Miss Dickens,
rrho hnldr that ragl1lar meals and