The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-03-18
SCARED KINGS.
Some Remarkable Instances of Roy
atty Showing the White Feather.

atty Showing the White Feather.
One of the main rules in the life
of king is that his face must never
betray his emotions; he must never
show surprise or disappointment or
anger; above all he must never show
lear. But sometimes it happens that
the iron self-control of the royal will
breaks down.
One can readily understand the ef-
fect that the terrible events of her
wedding day must have had on the
nerves of the young Queen of Spain,
and, though at the time her calm
courage was the amazement Of all, 1t
is quite certain that the fright has
had a lasting effect.
| After a recent visit to England
she was about to embark on her
journey back to Spain, land had taken
leave of the friends and relatives
who had come to see her off. Sud-
denly she turned back and hurried
towards her mother, 1inging her
arms round her and embracing her
passionately again and again.
Il fear l shall never see you
again." she said with tears in her
eyes.
The only time the German en-
peror has been seen to look fright
ened was when he had just arrived
in England on his way to the death
bed of Queen Victoria.
| He landed at Cowes, where he was
received by the Prince of Wales (the
present king), and they had both
taken their seats in a closed carriage
prepatory to driving to Osborne. AS
the carriage began to move off
through the respectful~crowd some
thing darkened the window, and
there was a sharp "click!" like that
of a heavy revolver.
The emperor turned deadly pale
and shrank back into his corner.
But the click was nothing more
serious that the sound of snapshot
camera that an over-eager photog-
rapher had thrust almost into the
open window OF the carriage. His
imperial majesty dearly loves to be
photographed, but on this occasion
| he was furious at having been be-
lFdycu luLO IuAh.
A curious episode showing the
state of the present czar's nerves oc-
Cured when he and the czarina paid
visit to Queen Victoria at Balmoral
| in 1885.
1t had been arranged that when
the imperial train arrived at Ballater
station some rockets would be sent
II up to announce to the queen their
safe arrival, and also as sort of
welcome to the car himself. Unfor-
tunately, no one had prepared the
czar, and as he took his seat in the
carriage he was startled by the sud-
den roar and crash as the fireworks
raced aloft and burst with fash.
The car sank back in the car
riage, half-insensible with fear and
quivering like an aspen leaf, and it
was some minutes before he recover
ed sufficiently to bow to the crowds
that lined the route through the vii
lage
Soon after his fathers accession
to the Russian throne Nicholas, al
ready half-crazed with fear at his
grandfather's assassination, received
another fright.
A deputation of peasants from
some outlandish part of Russia had
come to do homage to the new sover-
eign and the little Czarevitch Mich
olas. When they entered the pres
ence chamber the peasants flung up
their arms in their barbarous way
and shouted a wild greeting.
The unhappy little prince shrieked
aloud with fear, and had to be taken
out and pacified by his parents, while
the deputation was told to return on
the following day. When they came
they were received by the czar alone,
for the czarina was almost as fright
ened as the child.
Those who have seen photographs
of the late King Humbert OF Italy
can not fail to have noticed the curl
ously startled expression of his eyes.
People who knew the king say that
this expression never left his eyes
from the day that Passanante at
tempted to assassinate him at Naples
in November, 1878.
Humbert, seated in a carriage, was
receiving a deputation when one OF
them struck at him with what ap-
peared to be small banner, but it
was one that had a dagger concealed
in it's folds. The king bravely hit
back with the scabbs!rd of his sword,
and escaped unhurI>
A dramatic little episode once oc-
Cured on the magnificent staircase
of the royal palace at Madrid.
On the night of October 7, 1S41, a
crowd of mutinous officers swarmed
up with the intention of kidnapping
the child-queen Isabella. Shots rang
out, and there was murderous
hand-to-hand combat on the stair
case.
Poor little Isabella; all her regal
dignity forgotten, wrung her hands
in an agony of fear, screaming: "Oh,
don't let them kill me-"
AS day broke over the city the
mutineers fed, and most of them
were afterwards shot.