The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-07
QUEENS UNIQUE POSITION.
For Business Purposes Alexandra IL Not
a Married Woman.

For Business Purposes Alexandra IL Not
a Married woman.
Great interest was aroused recently by
the circumstances that In a grave national
crisis when the King was for the moment
inaccessible, the Ministers OF state were
summoned to the presence Of Queen Alex
andra for consultation, with, as was gener-
ally understood most satisfactory results
saws Tit-Bus. This was quite a new de-
parture for the present reign. OF course,
Queen Victoria played this sovereign part
constantly, but her late Majesty was the
head Of the State and It was the proper
course for her to pursue.
Except when considered as part OF the
King and sovereign, Queen Alexandra 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 OF single or Of any rank
In some material ways 1t 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 IA 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 other married
men and that his time Is too fully taken
up with the affairs Of state for him TO nave
any left 90 devote 90 domestic matters, and
that therefore the whole management OF
the Queens private business matters must
devoive upon her Maiesty singly and that
no responsibility whatever IN respect 10
them rests upon the King ,
Therefore IL such tning could be ina g-
ined as the Queen contracting dents IN her
husbands name the King would not be ne,
sponsible for them as any other husband
would be unless he had given due notice
to tradesmen and ell others concerned
that be would for the future decline 20 settle
all such accounts. II the King contracted
debts the law, which says that his Majesty
can do 70 WRONG would prevent anybody
from eiinR him fol, recovery Of the amount
due, but no such protection IA granted TO the
Queen, who could be proceeded against IN
the ordinary manner, She has her own
attorney general and solicitoT-general 70
represent her in all legal matters-though'
Of course, except for ordinary private pur-
poses, their services are scarcely ever
While the constitution is glad to recog-
nize the Queen az part Of the monarchy, ~
cannot lose sight Of the fact that after all
her position Is limited to that Of Queen
consort and that therefore she u IN
large ser nae one Of his Maiestys subjects, and
in certain cases, which there IA no human
possibility Of occurring in these times, che
other respects she Is acoorued privileges
by the realm which re given to no other
person except the King. Particularly there
"A no question Of high treason.
IL Il generally understood that the King
"a the only person whom II Is high treason 20
plot against, but Il would be high treason
also to plot against Queen Alexandra. The
signature 'Edvard Rex IL attached TO all
State documents Of such importance az TO
demand It.. But in no oircu instance what
ever would the corresponding one, Alex
andra Regina" be allowed 70 be attached,
either In Conjunction with that Of his Ma
iesty or without Il,
lit should hapDed that the Queen should
survive the King, many OF the privileges
which she-at present possesses would be
withdrawn from her, only nominally In
some cases, but actually In othes, while
constitutional law provides that some curl
ious restrictions shall be placed upon her,
Ii would he no longer high treason TO plot
against her and Il h held by at least one
high auth OIity that she could not marry
again N she wished TO do so without the
special license and permission Of the Kings
successor.