The Detroit times., 1910-01-10
LE0P0L0's WIDOW
REMAINS HIDDEN
FROM WORLD
"Queen Caroline and Her Children
Live in Beautiful Castle Late
King of Belgium Gave Her /.
IA Two Years Ago.
Candles Kept Burning Night and
Day Before His Picture-This
A. Is Woman's Shrine.
BY PAUL siMMs.

PARIS, Jan. l0-Twenty-two miles
noi oitheast OF here. in little corner OF
fairyland itself. Is the Chateau de Ba
iincourt. where the "Du Barry" OF Bel.
gium. the Baroness Vaughan-"Qucen
Caroline" they call her-has hidden
herself from the world.
Beautiful as picture, witty and
girlish. small wonder she charmed
King Leopold. And Kaiser Wilhelm,
or hearing OF the infatuation, sent a
special envoy To Brussels for por-
trait OF the queen" Leopold auto
graphed likeness and sent II on.
Yes" mused Wilhelm. critically
favorite. Leopold has got taste-he's
q connoisseur."
The Baroness Vaughan really loved
Leopold as any woman should love her
husband. She has completely isolated
herself TO be alone with her grief. With
her two children, the sons OF the king
the tiny Duke de Tervueren. aged ).
and the tot OF Baron de Ravensteln.
aged 3--she even shuts herself off from
most OF the 25 servants of the palace.
At one end OF a grand salon, 80 feet
square and with high ceiling. there
Is huge oil portrait OF King Leopold
II. Before this candles are kept
burning, night and day, am told. and
the picture is the woman's shrine.
II seems to have been a true love
affair, with a powerful and rich king.
cruel and desplsed by many. as the
lever; a poor girl. of humble parent
age, but pretty and faithful. as the
sweetheart. However else they were
we're with the world, to each other
there was always tenderness.
It's an interesting but long trip from
Paris to the Chateau de balincourt
when one hasn't an automobile. One
must take the train at the North rail
way station and leave 1t a few miles
out. at Valmondois. From here to
vallongoujard Is what we know as q
"jerkwater" line. Over this stretch
of track little train makes FIVE trips
a day.
At yallongoujard one must hire q
rig. for II Ii about ave miles to the
chateau. A mile and q half from the
palace one comes to the village OF
Menouville, where Leopold was az
well known as any of the old inhabi-
tants who sit about the corner gro
Gerry, good American fashion, whiting
cedar sticks.
Queen Caroline's" chateau Is a
dream. There are over so rooms.
The structure Is OF stone. A rich Jew
who made millions in China built 1t.
Leopold bought II for the baroness
two years ago and remodeled 1t for
her. He made her present OF lit
and q fortune said TO be about
S25,000.O00.
Every room Is a bower. or a salon
ht for royalty. Priceless bits Of art
adorn hooks. pedestals and walls.
Rugs of finest oriental workmanship
soften the floor, leaving only occa-
sional glimpses of the marvelously
wrought, wood-inlay. Modernisms are
there. too. in the way OF bath rooms
and Kitchens, AMI here IL is small won
der Leopold found his favorite re-
treat. He was an artist, even IL he
was cruel and the lakes and lawns
and waterfalls and old mills pleased
him immensely.
| talked with lots OF the village
idlers at Menouville. On the whole,
they were reticent lot. There is one
butcher shop. grocery or two, wine
shop, blacksmith shop and so on;
that's all. Naturally the owners had
little to say other than good of the late
king and his morganatic widow. They
are practically supported by the cha
teau and its army OF servants.
But everywhere 1 found King Leo
pold's name had been shortened by
the inhabitants. One and all call him
"Popol," which is a combination OF
papa" and Leopold"
"Oh. knew him WELL" said one old
man In wooden sabots and blue apron,
so common to French peasants. "He
came to the village a lot. He talked
With all of u.s." Here the old man
ehuckled softly To himself
"One day last summer" he added,
him and me tossed sous at crack;
winners keepers"
who won?" l asked.
The answer was rueful enough:
"He did" he said.