Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-06
AN EXILE IN ALGERIA
Audience With RanavaIOna III,
Granddaughter of God"
WOULD TALK, BUT DARE NOT
Downfall of Madagascar's Empress
and Her State.
HOW THE FRENCH GUARD HER
Her Gorgeous Coronation and Her
Palaces-How the Queen
Lives Today.

Copyright, 1907, by Frank G. Carpenter).
ALGIERS
Once the ruler of the third largest island
Of the world. a country bigger than France.
twice as large as Italy and three times
as big as New England, the beloved queen
of more than four million people. with all
the money she could spend. with army
of her own, q court the most brilliant of
that OF any monarch south of the equator,
and all that she could wish for in the way
of luxury, pomp and power. Today, de-
posed from her throne, a pensioner on the
bounty of the French government, an exile
in tho hands Of her conquerors, watched
always by spies and guarded by a muscular
French woman, who controls her converse
ton and actions. Such is the present con-
dition of Ranavaloha III, the famed queen
Of Madagascar, by whom l was granted
the honor OF an audience today.
The Story Of Queen.
Before describe my interview, or rather
my audience, for her majesty was not
permitted to talk, let me give you a few
words of her history. Her name is Ranava-
Iona, an imperial cognOmen which means
The Granddaughter OF God" She comes
of the royal family which had ruled NADIA
gascar for many years She is a descendant
OF the royal family which ruled NADIA
gascar in 1910. He was chief of the
Hovas, one OF the largest and most civilized
tribes OF the island, who, after Conquering
many of the other tribes, formed a union
with the Sakalavas by marrying Rosaiino,
Sakalava princess.
King Radama was the first to introduce
our civilization Into Madagascar. He well
coined the missionaries, and as far back
as 1920 introduced Protestant Christianity
among the HOvas. During his reign
schools were established churches were
built, the Bible was printed In Malagasy
Language, and the people were largely con-
Verted. After his death one of his wives
RanaValona |, assumed the throne. She
opposed the missionaries, but her son,
Radama II, again gave the people full
liberty as regards religion, and in 1868
Queen Ranavalona II, the aunt of this
queen, carried on ;he good work She died
In 1883, and was succeeded by the woman
i talked with today, who was then lust
twenty-one years OF age. She Is now forty
fve although she looks ten years younger
/ think she is u widow, for, according to
custom. when she took the throne she mar
ried the prime minister. who was then
seventy years old, and he must have died
long ago.
Ranavalona's Coronation.
When Ranavaiona was crowned she made
a change in the coronation ceremonies of
the country. Other monarchs had always
been attended by soldiers. She made school
children her chief guard of honor. She
had picked out 500 boys and 400 girls from
the chief schools of Tananarivo and all the
schools, with their teachers, had excellent
places for witnessing the ceremony. The
day before the school boys drilled and went
through their spear and shield exercises In
her presence, and at the time of the corona
ton she was attended by regiments OF
boys In uniform and troops of girls dressed
In white
The queen. when met her today, wore a
plain black silk skirt with q shirt waist
OF white silk. beautifully embroidered She
had at her throat q star OF diamonds set
In old silver and about her neck was a gold
chain as big around your little finger.
Her clothes were like those that any Ameri-
can lady might wear when receiving after
noon callers, and were not extravaganza or
striking in any way.
When Ranavalona was crowned she wore
O white brocaded silk robe, heavy with
gold, and her train was of crimson velvet
with gold embroidery. She wore a large
gold crown of a peculiar design, and she
fairly sparkled with Jewels. She is said
10 still have many beautiful Jewels, and
when she left the island OF Reunion, where
che was first banished, the extraordinary
statement was made in the newspapers that
tho precious stones she took With her were
worth mare than two million dollars.
rs the queen was crowned the people fell
upon their knees, and then burst forth into
n shout of applause. while the soldiers
fourished their spears and the cannon
fired. AT the same time there were cheers
from the boys and girls, and from the