Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-06-04
ALEXANDRA SHOWS STRAIN
Queen Mother of England Presents q
Sad Spectacle.
HER ILLNESS MAY UPSET PLANS
Begun of BhOpal, Rich and Yelled, n
Royal Guest of Britain that
Excites Public Curiosity
to High Pitch.
BY LADY MARY MANwARING,


LONDON, June g. - Especial to- The
Bee. THE past month has been a season
of sadness for Queen Alexandra, and the
beloved consort of the late King Edward
has shown the strain. Her majestys health
has been feeble, so feeble in fact that
fears are still felt that there may be a
collapse, which will mar, If not cause a
postponement, of the coronation exercises.
Begun of BhOpaI Arrives.
The begun OF Bhopal, a rich, yelled In
dian princess, is now in England for the
coronation Her visit has many elements
of mystery about II. For one thing, this
wealthy princess never appears in public
without a heavy veil that prevents OBJ
servers from seeing what manner Of
woman she is who rules over nearly a
million people and 1000 square miles of
territory.
She has brought over with her from
India a large suite which includes priests
a physician, an astrologer and cook. 1t
is part OF the priests duties to attend the
killing OF chickens for the princess con-
sumption. Her jewels are jewel-studded
ornaments. and other utensils have been
placed in the care OF a bank. No fewer
than $50 packages were needed to bring
over the special dresses and foods,
The begun was received by the king
and was afterward a conspicuous figure at
the court. She wore a robe made in one
piece In the veil over her head and face
are two eye holes. She spent the night
after the court at a London hotel, where
she was waited on at meals by the maids.
as It Is her custom never to appear be-
fore a man unveiled. Walters were, there
fore, banished from her presence.
The ruler OF Bhopal Is always woman.
The husbands of the begums have usually
been more than high officers OF state and
have never had anything like the position
of a prince In a European country. This
feminine eminence is the more strange
because Bhopal is a strictly Mahommedan
state, and It is not generally supposed
that the prophet ever contemplated the
possibility OF a female ruler.
VictOria's Rule on Divorces.
It has been stated in the press lately
that in Queen Victorias reign divorced
persons" were not permitted to appear at
court. This rule was enforced until about
the middle OF the '7Os. Queen Victoria
then decided Cafter consultation with the
late Lord Hartford, who was lord cham
berIain, and the late Lord sydney that
ladies who had divorced their husbands,
their own conduct having been blameless,
should be allowed to come 10 drawing
rooms after making a special application
for permission TO attend.
Whenever a lady in this position desired
70 appear at court she was required to
send in a report OF the proceedings In
her case, which was submitted to Queen
Victoria herself and IL was by no means
matter Of course for the application to
be granted. The wife OF very distin-
guished man. who had divorced her first
husband. her own conduct having always
been unimpeachable, had her application
refused, TO her intense and lasting dis
appointment The fact was, that Queen
Victoria had no sympathy with sufferers
from matrimonial troubles, and in deal
ing with these cases her decision mainly
depended in reality upon the family con
nections OF the applicant
J. IL Barrie. who celebrated his fifty