The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-19
HOME LIFE OF A QUEEN
From Answers. London.

From Answers, London.
"HREE o'clock in the afternoon at
Marlborough house, the London
| i home of Queen Alexandra. Her
| majesty came up to town the previous
evening and in the morning received a
message from the king. to say that, If
his mothers arrangements would permit,
he would like to call on her that day at
o'clock.
| The letter was carried by the Princess
Mary. who walked over from the palace,
| escorted by her governess, and it was
signed Georgia" as the Kings letters
to his mother have BEEN since he was able
to write.
Queen Alexendra does not like talking
over the telephone, and that is why the
message was sent in writing.
The princess stays about half an hour
with her grandmother and then returns
with verbal answer 10 the message to
the effect that Queen Alexandra will be
very glad to see father at T.
When the princess departs Queen Alex
andra sits down at the writing table in
her personal writing room to attend to
some of her private correspondence.
The writing room is one of five of
set of apartments on the second floor.
which are Queen Alexandra's private
rooms.
1t is a beautiful room. and one full of
memories for 1t was Queen Alexandra's
private writing room when Princess of
Wales, and is full of her msjesty's most
intimate/and treasured possessions. The
walls are lined with red silk. and the
draperes are of the same material.
In the center of the room is Queen
Alexandra's writing table. given to her
in the year of her marriage by the late
King
On the wall facing the windows is life
tsize portrait of King George. in the uni
form of a MILDLY, done when his majesty
was on board the Cacchante; and near to
it, on a table, is a colored drawing of
the King and the late Duke of Clarence
in fancy dress--the dress the young
princes wore at their first ball, costume
one given at Marlborough house.
The treasures the beautiful apartment
contains are past all reckoning. There
is gold casket, containing set of gold
cases. The casket Is exquisitely orna-
mented. and was a present from foreign
royalty. It's worth must be several thou
sands of pounds, for the box alone, apart
from it's contents, is solid gold and is very
heavy.
There is an innumerable number of
quaint old gold chains and various gold
ornaments scattered in great profusion
about the room-some on tables, some in
jewel cases. some on wall brackets.
The days at MarlboroNgh house are now
very quiet. When her majesty is in res
idence many stately servants, clad in the
white and scarlet royal livery, are in at
tendance in the corridor and entrance
halls; but those commanded to Marlbor-
ough house are now only the few hon.
ored with the intimate friendship of the
widowed queen.
Outside Queen Alexandra's personal
apartments, and Immediately adjoining
them, are the rooms that have always
been devoted to the reception of royal
guests.
And while at these rooms it will not be
out of place to relate a little story, which
will illustrate how kind Queen Alexandra
is to her servants.
At Christmas time, when royal guests
are not usually at Marlborough house,
it was, and is still, customary for one
of the royal visitors apartments to be,
used by various tradespeople on approval,
from which her majesty may select gifts
for her friends and relations
Queen Alexandra puts card beside each
article she selects, on which is written
the name and address of the person to
whom it is to be sent and subsequently
all the articles are packed for post and
addressed by a servant.
One one OCCASION some years ago-when
Princess of Wales-her majesty had not
finished selecting the presents until
rather later hour than usual, and it was
midnight when the servant came In to
pack them. He was rather tired by