Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-23
GREEK QUEEN IS
DEAR TO PEOPLE
f6Y AssaciakAd DraSSl

ATHENS. Greece-The blockade
of the ports of Greece by the Allied
Powers has furnished Queen Sophie
her opportunity to endear herself to
the Greek people. She was already
the head of all the more important
charities of Athens, but her work has
always been very quiet and generally
very little known or appreciated.
During the IS years that she has been
first Crown Princess Of Greece and
then Queen Of the Hellenes, she has
been rather a negative figure.
On the declaration of the blockade,
however. she took up the active Or
ganizatiCn of the relief work among
the blockade sufferers. To do this
she had at command the committees
of all the numerous charities she
has established in the Greek capital
as we'll as the central committee of
the national league of reservists, the
mutual benefit organization of the
veterans of the two late Balkan wars.
The committee Of the reservists'
league set about collecting subscrip-
tons under the patronage of the
queen, tapping every well-to-do
Athenian family and even approac ching
the neutral diplomatists for funds to
assist the blockade sufferers. The
distribution of the funds so collected
is being conducted by the hospital
committee to the sick and by the CON-
mittee for the assistance of working
women to the needy. Queen Sophie
herself personally follows and directs
all the work and makes large contri-
buttons to 1t from her private purse.
Outside her little known charities
the kaiser's sister has never before
occupied much of place in the hearts
of the Greek people. The. king, as
personal commander in chief of the
army, the victor in two successful wars
and man of great personal magnet.
ism, has completely overshadowed
his royal consort. While, in every shop
cafe and office in Greece there hangs
a portrait of King Constantine, por.
traits of Queen Sophie have hitherto
been rare. 1t has only been since her
active work in behalf Of the blockade
sufferers that there have appeared
generally in the Athens shops calen.
dars with the queens picture on them.
as well as the familiar ones bearing
the kings picture.
Nor does the kaiser's sister take
very active part in the social life of
Athens. The king and queen dine
once week regularly with the kings
brother, Prince Nicholas, and his wife,
the. Princess Helen. After dinner
there is usually party at which the
diplomatic corps and the best Athen-
ian society are gathered The king re-
mains all evening, even in the busiest
time; but the queen rarely stops after
dinner or takes any part in the gaieties
She receives no one, save where Off
cial etiquette renders an audience i'm
FerativeS Her last formal audience
was given to the German minister and
his staff. Just before their leaving
Greece on November %. last. When
they had departed she wept as the
German diplomatic mission in Athens
constituted the sole remaining lin \
connecting her with her brother.
Emperor William of Germany.
= The royal family of Greece Is very
clannish. and there are frequent fam
lily reunions at the houses of the
kings numerous brothers. Queen
Sophie seldom attends these. Her pet
charity is her shop in which thu
home work of Greek women is sold.
But her sisterin-law, the Princess
Alice of Battenberg, the wife of the
kings brother Prince Andrew, runs a
shop Of the same character, in COM
petition with the queens just across
Constitution square from Queen
Sophie's.
In the Princess Alice shop all the
models are American for hats, fine
women's Undertaking, dresses and
other feminine nick-nacks. The Ameri-
can fashion papers set all the Prin-
cess Alice styles, and it is a source
of great pride to her that every arti-
Gle sold in her shop that is not a re-
production of characteristic Greek
costumes or peasant women's en-
broideries, is made after American de- |
signs =" i