The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-07-03
SOCIETY IN LONDON
BY LADY MARY MANwARING

~ London, July 2.-Cspecial)-One of the most interesting women in Europe today is the queen mother Alexandra.
 There is something deeply pathetic about the reverence shown by the queen mother for the memory of the late king It would seem to be her maiesty's desire not to disturb in the slightest degree any of the arrangements in the late king apartments which serve to suggest to her a sense of his genial personality The death chamber at Buckingham pal ace today is in exactly the same eondl- ton as it was when his late majesty, at the close of his lifes journey, was re- moved to the throne goom In fact all the personal effects of the late soverlgn are to be found in the same place as they were in the days of his full activity Moreover, no one has been allowed into the room by her majesty, who is con- stantly in and out. and has constituted herself the sole guardian of King Ed wards suite of rooms in the palace.
 A charming story which illustrates Queen Alexandra's complete confidence in the affection of the people, explains why the Empress Marie of Russia was the royal widows companion in her mourning coach at King Edwards funer- al The officials were much concerned for the safety of the empress, who is known to be the object of many anarchist plots A military guard was out of the question since the empress could not be treated differently to other august per sonages Then the officials were at their wits end and Queen Alexandra solved the ploblem by declaring that her sister should ride in her carriage.
 Toria said her majesty. will be quite safe with me- And Marie was, for every man, woman and child along the route were her guard of honor.
 Now that Queen Alexandra has be- come the queen-mother, 1t Is interesting to note what large numbers of dowager queens there are in Europe at the present time Russia Spain Portugal and Italy all having dowager queens, and they ln- clude some of the most interesting per- sonalities in the royal courts of today.
 It would be difficult to find more versatile and accomplished woman than the dowager queen Amelie of Portugal. She is probably the only royal nurse in Europe. for nursing Is subject in which she has taken a strictly scientific in- terest To qualify herself for greater usefulness she walked the hospitals In Lisbon for several years and took her doctors degree
 She is also known as a great authority in millinery. Once she started a poor girl in business by virtue of this quality. The young woman had tainted in the streets of Lisbon She had lost her em- ployment and was vainly struggling 10 support her mother and herself.
 The queen handed her three bonnets of her majesty's own creation. Take them as models: call them Bonnets Amelie,' she said land tell your customers they are made after the queens designs. Within two months the girl took larger premises and soon became prosperous.
 Some years ago. the queen won medal for saving the lives of two children from drowning in the Tague. Her majesty is is a strong swimmer and seeing the children in peril, plunged into the river and rescued them.
 The queen-mother of Spain is almost as popular amongst the people of her coun- fry as Queen Ena herself She is eX- tremelv democratic, and mixes with the populace with a simplicity that has won all hearts.
 At one of the vintage ceremonies, so dear to the hearts of the Spanish country folk. which took place year ago the uueen-mother showed great interest in the proceedings. One of the observances was to slide down a giant cask of wine and with characteristic good nature, the aged queen solemnly perched herself on the cask and gracefully slid down 1t amidst the plduuitS Ol Htl dci6itcu Sup- 3ects.
 Queen Margherita the queen n-mother of Italy. has won the hearts of her poorest subjects wholly and solely on account of her never-failng, loving kindness Although she rarely subscribes toward ordinary charities, she goes amongst the poor and finds out for herself their particular wants. She takes special de- light in making presents of beds to the poor These beds are all made after the < same style and are so familiar that no dealer dare take them Tn pledge or pur- chase.
 Her majesty has always been popular, but the facts of a little incident that oc- cured a year so back have consider ably enhanced her popularity. Her ma 1esty the king, and hunting party were sitting round the camp fire, when an epuerry, in a fit of bravado, took leap over the fire and set his clothes aight.
 All lost their presence of mind except fhe queen, who, flinging herself upon the burning man, so enveloped him in her skirts that the flames We're extinguished and the victim escaped with few slight burns.
 Marie Feodorovna. dowager of Russia, who has been in England on visit to her nister Queen Alexandra, is a woman of remarkable character and brilliancy.
 She never travels abroad without being z accompanied by gigantic Cossack, who 1A devoted to his mistress, and is ready 4o die for her at any moment. He is . magnificent specimen of man. hood. having chest measurement oi nearly 50 inches. and he looks extremely nicturesoue fin his Cossack uniform trimmed with fur.
 Together with the queen-mother oi England. the dowager empress shares 6 ', Gweetly pretty litt16 villa on the ses coast of Denmark, in which, by the way 1t io nost probably that Queen Alexandra 4 S.raI1 apend a good deal of her future time
 It is announced that the prince minis X <nrsn necond son, Mir. Herbert Asquth, Is | .Sn raeed to be married. His fiancee Is thu # <fon. Cynthia Charteris. eldest daughte x1f Lord end Lady Blcho. granddaughte 63 fhn veteran earl of Wemyss and O. <ne m. Percy Wyndham, father of MT