The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-22
SOCIAL GOSSIP OF
FOREIGN CAPITALS

I
principal consideration being the happi-
ness Of the children, not only those OF
the royal family. who were all assembled
to geet her, but also those of the inhabi-
tants of the royal estate. numbering more
than 1000 Among the multitude of pres
ents which reached Queen Alexandra
none was more highly appreciated than
the photographs Inscribed ITO dear
gram - which she always receives with
/ the good wishes of David. Mary. BERTHE.
and John.s the children OF King George.
II Is not generally known that every
year Queen Alexandra's birthplace. Co
penhagen, the csBitaI city of Denmark,
/ Is decorated in honor of her birthday
and a grand banquet given in the royal
castle, though she rarely is present on
these occasions. Her majesty was born
at the Geibe Palast, in Copenhagen, and
vas called Alexandra after the sister of
Car Alexander ii. Once the Queen was.
asked to recall the most memorable
birthday of her life. Without hesitation,
she named that of 1871. the day that
King Edward, then Prince OF Wales,
recovering consciousness for the first
time during the most severe illness of
| his life, made the remark This is the
| princess birthday"
Queen Alexandra's birthday synchro-
niZes with the fifty-second anniversary of
Emperor Franz Josefs accession 10 the
dual throne of Austria Hungary. If
/ Franz josef is spared another year he
actually viii beat the record achieved
/ by Queen Victoria's lengthy occupation
Of the British throne. Besides Victoria
and Franz Josef. only five sovereigns
/ have ruled half a century each-Edward
| III. who reigned fifty years; Henry III,
| fifty-six years: Louis XIV, sixty-one
years Louis XIV. lfty-seven years, and
George III, ffty-nine years.
The Emperor OF Austrias family life
has been the most tragic in the annals
| of royalty. His brother Macmillan, who
was foolish enough 10 take the advice OF
Napoleon III TO occupy the throne Of
Mexico as an emperor who was neither
wanted nor loved. paid for his folly by
being shot to death at his castle of Cha
pultepec. His wife, the Empress Eliza
/ beth. was assasinated while walking on
| the promenade of Zurich by an anarchist
/ His only son. Archduke Rudolf who
would have succeeded him TO the throne
/ either killed himself or was murdered in
/ the house OF Baroness -Netsera. who died
with him. This so-called tragedy Of
/ Meyerlingk never has been solved. The
/ archduke, whose life with his wife. the
| Belgian Princess Stefanie. was not a
/ happy one, is said 10 have had a liasen
with the baroness, whose brother. II waS'
whispered al the Vienna Hofburg, shot
the archduke, whom he found with his
/ sister.
Charlotte. Empress Of Mexico the IN
| fortunate wife of his brother Macmillan.
went insane; and another brother. Arch
/ duke Ludwig Victor, went mad through
/ dissipation. Hence the Emperor's three
/ nearest relatives met violent deaths. and
/ two of them are worse than dead
! Will add. before closing the awful chap
| ter of Meyerlingk. that Archduke Ru-
dolfs wife. the Princess Stefanie, now is
the Countess Of Lonjay, having married
a Belgian nobleman.
The German Emperor's love of opera
now has taken a practical FORM He is
| endeavoring to purchase a site at Berlin
| on which his Intention is TO have erected
| the most grandiose opera house in the
world Just at present there is a slight
hitch in the proceedings, the Berlin city
fathers having refused 20 supply the nee
| essary cash for the scheme. But the
Kaiser, who is not TO be thwarted, now
Is negotiating for the money from an
other source.
This monster playhouse is to be a most
/ luxurious building Eight of Germany's
/ leading architects are at work devising
/ the plans. and each of them receives
/ 1000 marks for his work
Three thousand people may be seated
/ in the new building. as planned, AT each
| performance, while the stage. which is
| 10 be fitted with all the latest scene
/ shifting appliances, will be 100 feet in
width and 90 feet deep.
| The Kaiser has well provided for him
/ self and his court. The plans specify for
a royal box which is 10 seat eighty per-
I sons comfortably. Behind this spacious
compartment there is to De provision for
labyrinth OF dressing and retiring
rooms for the exclusive use OF the royal
| party.
The cost of the whole scheme will he
! enormOus-so great. in fact, that the
actual price has been withheld from the
/ German public.
/ Miss Braddon and Miss Rhoda Brough-
! ton, each OF whom have published new
novel during the last few weeks, between
them claim TO have interested millions Of
readers. for Miss Braddon I'D until now
has published sixty-four novels and Miss
Broughton in the neighborhood OF twenty.
Miss Broughton's first success. ''Cometh
! Up as a Flower" which was published in
1867. brought her an avalanche of con-
ordinations. not the least of which was
the assurance OF Capt. Markham-nOw
Admiral Sir Clements Markham-that he
had read il while on his famous sledge
journey toward the north POLE and that
he was so much impressed that he named
a certain ice-clad hill in those inhos-
pitable regions Mount Rhoda. Miss
BroUghton's name stiI is a power at all
circulating libraries, where her score of
novels, with their passionate, green-eyed
young women and 'magnifcently ugly
men" (Sir +. c. Burnand, in Punch) are
in steady demand.
The novelist has for many years lived
at Richmond, where she occupies house
on the glorious terrace overlooking the
Thames, near the world-famed Star and
Garter Hotel. Six years ago her name
appeared in the civil list as the recipient
of a pension OF S75 per year in consid-
Grafton of her merit as a writer Of fic-
ton.
Her stories are appreciated in France,
as well as in Britain. An eclectic
French critic. looking about him for an
other stone TO cast on lola, wanted to
know Why he could not be natural with
out being naturalist" he could
not present life faithfully. as did the
English novelists. George Eliot and Rhoda
Broughton.
Miss Braddon is a sweet, gray-haired
lady of seventy-three. She also resides
at Richmond, in a historic mansion built
b. Wren, and associated with earls and