The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-06
With Life of WondrOus RO- nance Hehind Her, Her
 Home Is Now a Hospital
HOPES TO REACH
 1OOTH BIRTHDAY
Has Settled Disposition of Her For tune of Thirty Millions to the Most Minute
 Detail
p- p.vnEN CHURCH

P- VsNpEN CHURCH
 London January Especial )--Follow- ing the recent death of the last of her ancient retainers, came rumors that the health of the extraordinary woman who, of all the great figures of the past now living, most appeals to our imagination as well as to our sympathies, was caus- ing those surrounding her the graVest anxiety. She is the eX-Empress Eugenle formerly the beautiful consort of Napo- leon III, and one of the most remark able figures even in French history, who fled to England after the fall of the third empire following the debacle or the Franco Prussian war, and who, for the past quarter of century or since the tragic death of her only son at the hands of the Zulus, has lived in the strictest retirement on her beautiful es- tate at Farnborough in Hampshire.
 To the venerable eX-Empress, now in her 90th year, and already severely shaken in health by the anxieties of the present conflict, the loss of her devoted secretary, Franceschini Pietri, was the heaviest blow she has sustained in recent years. Report said that it had been too much even for her indomitabe spirit that crushed and broken, she was unable to leave her bed, and that her own end was believed to be not far distant. M. Pietri who was S2, accompanied the Elm press on her flight to England 0hat flight which would have ended in disaster had it not been for the assistance of the Empress American dentist, Dr. Evans), and was the last of those composing Flu genies present-day household who had surrounded her in the great days when she was the most admired and courted, as we'll as one of the most-powerful wom- en in Europe A Corsican, NJ. Pietri was <1,1 f,f+ +l,a of in a1iG who on the afternoon of the fateful Sun- day, September 4. rushed into the Tuil- cries crying we cannot resist; the crowds are beating down the ralings. The only hope for her majesty lies in immediate flight"
 For over 40 years M. Pietri was the faithful confidant of the Empress and thoug> she possessed many relatives, none was more dear to her than this de- voted retainer On his part a quiet, re- served man. he was increasingly engaged in her service, and accompanied her on all her journeys. which, for a woman of her age, have been surprisingly numer- ous. For some weeks he lay an invalid at the Hotel Crillon in Paris, whence he had gone on a mission for his i'm perial mistress. and he was recently brought home to Farnborough Hill, as Eugenie's beautiful residence Is named, in an exceedingly weak state. It would
 
 the rumors as to the effect of his death upon his venerable mistress been true, but happily they prove to be entirely without foundation. Anxious to obtain reliable information on the subject, the writer communicated with the Rev. Brother Fehrenbach, who, al custodian of the beautiful mausoleum at Farnbor- ough which the eX-Empress built to con- tain the ashes of her husband, the Elm peror of the French, and of her son, the prince imperial, is in closest touch with her, and has received from him the fol- lowing reply, which is dated The Ab- bey," Farnborough, Hants.
 In answer to your letter, I am re- quested to inform you that her majes. tvs health, in spite of her age, is caus- ing no anxiety whatever. Her majesty was present at the Abbey church on January at a service for our fallen soldiers She will be present again on Monday January 10-anniversary of Napoleon the Thirds death, at a spe- cial service.
 '"The death of MT. Pietri was certain 1y a great blow to her. He was the last of those who accompanied her to Eng land. He has not yet been replaced. At present Prince Napoleon and his wife tPrincess Clementina of Belgium) are staying with her majesty"
 This is not the first time that ap-
 
 the eX-Empress, who is undeniably one of the most wonderful old women of her time, and it may be that her own often reiterated belief that she will live to celebrate her centenary will be Justified. No doubt her surprising en- durance is largely due to open-air ex- ercise, for she has rarely missed her daily walk either in the beautiful grounds of her estate, orin the leafy lanes of the surrounding district, where she is a well known and greatly hon. ored figure. Yet the end must come and Eugenie long since chose the spot where she will be buried when "finis' has been written to one of the most extraordinary careers in history.
 TOMB IS WONDERFUL
 Her tomb of course will be the won derful mausoleum, practically a replica of the tomb of the great Napoleon in Paris, which she caused to be built on the wooded heights at Farnborough, and in which the bodies of her husband and son were reinterred after having been brought from Chiselhurst, the inn perial familys first home in exile The eX-Empress has elected to be buried di- rectly behind the altar of the crypt, or between the tombs of the Emperor and his son. The tomb of Napoleon III is on the right, that of the prince imperial on the left. The former is inscribed This sarcophagus was presented to the Empress Eugenie as a mark of affec- etonate sympathy by Victoria R., 1873" The late Queen of England was one of the truest friends in diversity that the widowed Empress found. The Queen set the example of styling Eugenie Empress" even after her dethrone- ment and exile by seeing to it that she always was thus styled in the Court Circular" and Victoria also waived in Eugenie's case, the English law that no foreigner may inherit freehold prop erty in this country, thus enabling the latter to bequeath the Farnborough