Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-19
IN THE PUBLIC EYE.
The King of Sweden Viewed as Dem
ocratic Monarch.

ocratic Monarch.
Each year when these royal visits
bring me to Windsor, says a contribu-
tor to the Manchester Chronicle, l no.
tice more and more signs of decay in
the royal borough. Shops are empty
in the main street, and some Of the fine
Georgian houses in Park street are un-
inhabited and partly dismantled. 1t is
a pity it should be so, for Windsor is
one of the prettiest little towns in the
kingdom. The tradespeople complain,
and with. some show Of right that the
Castle is now an expense to them, from
which they receive nothing in return
Every time the king has royal visitor
It is expected that the streets shall be
decorated, and this involves a charge
on the rates. The cost is only G70,
but it is rather an important sum to a
small place whose trade is going. The
king literally buys nothing in the bor-
ough, though the queen occasionally
goes shopping there. For the rest all
meals are supplied from London stores.
Even the flowers for decorating the ta-
bles at a state banquet are brought by
a contractor and, except rare fruit
nothing comes from the royal gardens
at Frogmore.
His majesty Of Sweden, the royal
guest on this occasion, is the most
democratic ruler who has ever visited
Windsor Castle. 1t would almost seem
as If in him there was a reversion to
the Bernadotte, who was the son of
of a Pau attorney. That is only a
matter of three generations. 1t Is a
remarkable stride which Marshal Ber
nadotte made from a private in the
French royal marines to the Swedish
throne, and possibly King Gustav re-
members 1t. At any rate. he has the
deepest objection to ceremony Of any
kind, and I am certain he took very lit
tie interest in any of the pomp asso-
ciated with his visit, and was happiest
1T the legation among his own people.
worried about the difficulties he met
from Sweden, Dr E. E. Etzel, was quite
One of the special correspondents
with in approaching his monarch.
What with your gold stick in waiting
and your silver -stick-in- waiting, and
Jour grooms and your equerries, can
not get near my own people" He was
genuinely surprised that he did not re-
ceive an invitation to the state BAN
auet. A visiting journalist would In
Sweden, but we have not reached so
far.
King Gustav takes life very seriously,
and, indeed, is quite evangelical in his
views. One Of the suite said he would
not be surprised If one evening at din
ner he turned to King Edward, and
asked him, Are you saved?' He
cares nothing for soldiers or for sport
which involves killing. When l saw
him shooting in the forest he intention
ally let bird after bird pass him. His
total bag was only 135 that day. The
Prince of Wales did most Of the shoot
ing the bag reaching more than 600
birds. There are practically only pheas-
ants now at Windsor. a year or two
ago disease set in among the ground
game, and they had to be killed off.
The birds are very tame and plentiful,
and cost the king pretty penny, for
he gives every head away to friends and
TO institutions in which he or the queen
are interested.
Queen Victoria of Sweden Is much
more of the monarchical type than her
husband. She saw that the officers did
not quite like the perfunctory way in
which their men We're inspected, ana
sent for General Sir Frederick Stopford,
and complimented him on the appear
ance Of the troops. The Irish Guards
are stationed in Windsor, and have fur
nished the necessary duties for the Wis
it. They are at present the finest bat
TALON ir the whole Of the brigade or
guards, and are we'll worth seeing. lr
their drums" Is one of the best tlutists
I ever heard, and one morning during
the mounting of the sentries, he play
ed a solo which delighted King Edward
and the queen of Sweden, who listen
ed throughout.