El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-25

lnguiSt, speaking with nuency nan
dozen languages. including the Greek.
I am told that English is her favorite
tongue. and the one which is used in
the family.
Life in the Palace.
During my stay here have learned
something of life in the palace The
home of the king is in the very CEN
ter of Athens, not far from the leading
hotels and cafes, and on a hill which
overlooks a great part of the city. In
front Of it is the Place de la Consti-
tuition, containing about 40 acres, and
around and behind it are the kings
gardens, which his majesty throws
open to the public on three days of
the week.
The palace itself is not beautiful. 1t
is a great three-story building, with
rows of unshuttered windows, which
! make 1t look like a factory, poorhouse
or an insane asylum. The chief street
cars of Athens go by it, and there is
a steam tram which has depot di-
rectly in front. The building is OF
yellow limestone or marble, got from
the mountains nearby. 1t is kept
up by the parliament, and 1 am told
so poorly that it lacks many comforts,
and especially sufficiency Of bath
rooms
As to the life of the royal family,
it is simple and homelike. His majesty
rises at o'clock and makes his own
coffee, using a spirit lamp and two
tablesDoonfuIs of we'll powdered
Mocha The coffee is strong as I've,
and his majesty smokes a. cigaret as
he drinks it After this he looks over
the newspapers for two or three hours,
and then goes upstairs to breakfast
Nj &c ho1yl OF n in a
room on the second floor. All of the
family are present. The meal con-
sists Of little more than tea and bread
and butter, the first real meal of the
day being the luncheon at noon, or
rather at $3.50. This is served in
courses, beginning with soup and end
ing with a dessert. It comes from the
kitchen to the palace, and is got
up by the royal cooks, the most Of
whom are French and German, with
some Greeks, who make the desserts.
After luncheon the king chats with
his family and then takes drive. He
has audiences during the day and at
tends to such formalities as his posi-
tion requires. At half-past the fam
lily again assemblies at dinner and If
there are no guests Of distinction the
evening is spent not unlike that of
any welltodo family of Athens. The
king is said to be very good natured.
He is fond Of punmaking and can
laugh as loudly as his royal grand
children.
The Princes and Princesses of Greece.
AS TO the princes, Constantine. the
crown prince is now in retirement.
The people think he mismanaged their
army during the war with the Turks,
and he has lost caste with them He
is living in Germany, where the kali
ser is his brotheriniaw, and 1t may be
that he will have to give up his claim
! to the throne in favor Of his son
George, who is more popular with the
! Greeks. Prince George will be 81
years of age next July. He is a fine
| looking, well educated young fellow.
He speaks Greek like a native, and
| has had such on education as will fit
/; him to be king should his father be
set aside by the people / am told that
| his mother, the crown princess Sophia,
| is also unpopular.
! Prince George, the kings second son,
is now commissioner of Crete. He is
| said to be well liked by the Greeks.
His wife is one of the Bonapartes.
The third son is prince Nicolaos, who
was born in 1872 and is, hence, about
| 40 years old. He is married to the
| daughter of the grand duke Vladimir,
| of Russia, who is exceedingly rich,
and he has two bright little girls, the
! princesses Olga and Elizabeth. Nico-
laos has the literary bent He has
written a comedy which was produced
| mere. and was a success.
| In addition to the above the king Of
| Greece has two other sons, the younger
| Of whom is Christopher. who is now at
school in Germany, and the other, An
! drew, or Andreas, as they call it, who
married the princess Alice of Batten-
| burg. Andreas and Alike, for that is
| her Greek name, are about the most
/ popular Of the whole royal family.
| Alike is cheered whenever she goes
| on the street, and Andreas is favorably
| spoken of in all parts of Greece.
As to the kings daughters, he has
| had two. the elder of whom died In
her youth, and the other, the princess
Marie, who has married the grand