New-York tribune., 1908-09-27
NEw-YoRK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER ~ 1905
CbIdbood Of Victoria

around her The dukes income had never been
sufficient to meet the obligations OF his position.
ana on his death everything he possessed went to
pay his debts, the duchess giving up everything she
might legally have claimed to satisfy creditors
II 1t had not been for the help of her brother Leo
pold OF Saxe-Coburg afterward King OF the Bel
gians. she would not have " hich way to turn
frince Leopold was the husband of Princess Char
lotte, daughter and only child of the Regent, and
happily for his bereaved sister he was living in
England at this time He was her mainstay In all
the trials Of her difficult position and became a
second father TO the orphaned Princess Victoria.
The princess's English uncles with the exception
OF the Duke Of York. who always kind to her.
would have been Just well pleased II she had
never been born. II was quite natural that the
Regent afterward George w, should not enjoy
Ing any one in the position once occupied by his
own daughter. the lovely and beloved Princess
Charlotte. and he jealous Of the little Victoria.
though it not her fault The Duke OF Clar
had died in infancy, felt much the same way. He
refused as long possible to recognize his niece
as heiress apparent to the throne, hoping that he
might have another child himself. He an
noyed when she received any public attention, and
he even went far threaten TO remove her
from the OF the Duchess of Kent in order that
she might be kept in greater seclusion- These un-
generous sentiments however were not shared by
his wife. the good Queen Adelaide. My children
dead she wrote to the Duchess of Kent, but
yours lives and she is mine too
The Duke OF Cumberland, the most thoroughly
detestabe of the of George III, the Duke of
Kent was the most popular resented most OF all,
perhaps the existence Of his brothers child. for IL
there had been Princess Victoria he would have
succeeded William ". To have mere girl stand
between him ard the throne was evidently too
much for him to bear. and he actually plotted to
have her set aside in his favor.
But even If they had been disposed to be friendly
II is not likely that the Duchess. of Kent would
+Aa % 1.,of
brothers-n-law. They were precious set OF ras-
Gals and their manners bad their morals
So the duchess kept away from the corrupt court
much possible and lived very quietly at Ken
sngton Palace, where the princess brought up
much more simply than many little girls who are
not prfncesses. Her clothes simple In both
cut and material and her pleasures, it is to be
feared rather limited. for people didn't know
very well how to make children happy at that time.
and q little girl who is going to be Queen has to
work hard at her lessons, for she has know q
great many things that other little girls don't. Her
companions few, but she had whole army
OF dolls. She very fond of music, but not so
fond of II. apparently, Of her dolls. Once the
duchess for child harpist named I4yra to
play TO her. Whether the princess liked the music
not. history does not say. but are told that
having left them alone for q few minutes the
duchess returned to find the two children seated on
the floor and discussing not music. but dolls
All this time the princess had no idea what q
bone Of contention she was. When she went to
see her Uncle King" George " she treated him
with unsuspecting friendliness. and he could not
help liking her IN spite Of his jealousy. When q
child she 20 have possessed just as she
did in life, the power of saying Just the right
thing at the right time. She only seven when
the King asked her what she wanted the band to
play. and she answered, ''0h, Uncle King. I should
like God Save the King.
She did not know then that 1t would be God Save
the Queen some day, and she said afterwaTd that
when the knowledge came TO her gradually through
studying the genealogical chart of the British
ereigns Il made her very unhappy. Her cousin,
Prince George OF Cumberland. when he wanted 10
tease her. used to say "A pretty queen you will