Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-08-08
POSITION OF QUEEN.
UNIQUE PHASE OF THE DUTIES
OF ALEXANDRIA OF ENGLAND.
For Certain Business Reasons Her
Royn1 Highness Assumes to Be
Unmarried-Control Her
Own Affairs.

| Great interest was aroused recently
by the circumstances that in q grave
national crisis, when the king was for
the moment inaccessible, the ministers
OF state were summoned to the pres
ence of Queen Alexandra for consulta-
ton, with, as was generally under
stood, most satisfactory results, says
Tit-Bits. This was quite new de-
parture for the present reign. OF
course, Queen Victoria played this SOW
ereign part constantly, but her late
majesty was the head of the state and
1t was the proper course for her to
Pursue.
Except when considered as part Of
the king and sovereign, Queen Alex
andra is not the head of the state.
She enjoys a position of her own
which is unique. While it differs from
that of any other woman, married or
single or of any rank, in some mate
rial ways it is also different from that
of previous queen consOrts. One of
the most curious and interesting pro-
visions in the law and customs of the
state is that the queen is for private
business purposes not regarded as q
married woman at all. She is the only
woman in Great Britain who does not
come within the scope of the married
woman's property act
The principle of the law is that the
king is entirely different from all 9TH
er married men and that his time Is
too fully taken up with the affairs Of
state for him to have any left to de-
vote to domestic matters, and mat.
therefore, the whole management OF
the queens private business matters
must devOlve upon her majesty singly
and that no responsibility whatever in
respect to them rests upon the king.
Therefore, if such thing could be
imagined as the queen contracting
debts in her husbands name the king
would not be responsible for them, as
any other husband would be unless he
had given due notice to tradesmen and
all others concerned that he would for
the future decline to settle all such &C
counts. If the king contracted debts,
the law, which says that his majesty
can do no wrong, would prevent any
body from suing him for recovery of
the amount due, but no such protec-
ton is granted to the queen, who could
be proceeded against in the ordinary
manner. She has her own attorney
general and solicitor general to repre-
sent her In all legal matters-though,
Of course, except for ordinary private
ever needed.
While the constitution IS glad to
recognize the queen as part Of the
monarchy, it cannot lose sight Of the
fact that after all her position Is linn
tied to that Of queen consort, and that
therefore she is in a large sense one
of his majesty's subjects, and in GER
tain cases, which there Is no human
possibility of occurring in these times,
she would be treated as a subject
But in other respects she is accorded
privileges by the realm which are
given to no other person except the
king. Particularly there Is no ques-
ton of high treason.
1t is generally understood that the
king is the only person whom it is
high treason to plot against, but 1t
would be high treason also to plot
against Queen Alexandra. The sig
nature Edward Rex" is attached to
all state documents of such Importance
as to demand it. But in no circum-
stance whatever would the correspond
ing one, alexandra Regina" be al
lowed to be attached, either in con-
junction with that Of his majesty or
without it.
If it should happen that the queen
should survive the king, many of the
privileges which she at present pos
sesses would be withdrawn from her,
only nominally in some cases, but &C
tually in Others while constitutional
law provides that some curious restric-
tions shall be placed upon her. It
would be no longer high treason to
plot against her, and it is held by at
least one high authority that she could
not marry again If she wished to do
so without the special license and per-
mission of the kings successor.