The Washington herald., 1911-08-03
ACOURAGEOUS QUEEN

Maria Pia, the Dowager Queen OF
Portugal who died recently At the
home Of her sister. Princess Clothilde,
at Moncalissi. near Turin. was a far
greater parsonage, and, historically, far
more important than contemporaneous
far more So than her easy-going, pleas
ure-lovins husband. King Luiz Be-
sides. she had indomitable courage, and
was brave and fearless. bordering on
recklessness. On one occasion, when she
was boating at the mouth of the Tagus
River with her two sons, they both fell
into the water while leaning over the
side. The gentlemen of her party did
not know how to swim-neither did the
Queen, for that matter-but she instantly
Jumped in after her two boys
She held on to the boat with one hand,
caught Prince Carlos Che crown prince)
with the other and contrived to lay hold
of the frock of little Prince Alfonso with
her teeth. AS she threw herself over
board she recollected how once she had
seen Newfoundland dog belonging to her
brothers, Prince Humbert, later King of
Italy, and the Duke OF Agosta, seize
with its teeth a drowning boy in Lake
Annecy. Her prompt courage and pres
ence Of mind certainly earned the gold
medal that the Lisbon Humane Society
awarded her. though. Of course. the rare
heroism she displayed had for its OBJ
ject her two sons. They were all the
dearer to her. for the loss of four chill
dren, one after another. in a way so un-
accountable that Miquelist tthe pretend
er partys) poisoners were suspected.
Maria Pia showed pluck and decision
on a great occasion while she was
though bride-yet in her teens. One
morning at daybreak Marshal saldanha,
who had won his rank mostly IN pronun-
ciamentos and street fights. forced hts
way into the royal sleeping apartments
and there dictated a decree comforting
upon his military omnipotence. together
with a considerable increase in salary
He had cxtorted before such increases
from the King by threats to dethrone
him. The Queen at once adjured the
King to order the execution of Saldanha
The officer he had left in the ante
chamber witnessed the scene through the
open door. They owned afterward that
the Queens energy had affected them
so powerfully that had she taken upon
herself to issue the order they would
have led the marshal into the courtyard
and shot him. But the King signed the
decree-worse luck to him.
Maria Pia, on that sinister morning,
must have been the beau ideal of a
tragedy queen. She then had a fine, tall
figure. The masses OF Titian-red hair
frizzled naturally and seemed visibly af-
fected by every strong emotion. Her
eyes had an intensity of expression, and
their brillancy enhanced their keen pene-
tration. She loved display. Partisan ele-
gance. and minute order in all but her
finances. She never minced her words in
but had a compassionate
and generous heart.
She domineered over her court and
family, and stood on her rights with her
son, King Carlos, and her daughter-in-
law when they wanted her TO give up TO
them the AJuda palace. which her mar
riage contract had secured for her for
life. Dom Manuel, the present eXiled
King OF Portugal, from his infancy was
the object OF her idolatrous love. Her
had been cloistral. She COM
bined the neatness of the nun and the
Ignorance of the world. FLANEUR.
Copyright, Iell by Court Gossip Syndicate.j