The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-02-09
THE LITTLE BOY KING
WHO PREFERS HIS
NURSERY TO THRONE

for interviews with his majesty and
admits only those persons whom he
regards as serious and deserving of
consideration.
When one obtains M. Hiotu's ap-
prevail and arrives at the royal palace
in the hope of seeing the king, one is
received by General Condeescu, chief
of the military staff of the palace, and
by him passed on to Commander Mer-
dares.
Merdares occupies a special posi-
ton at the palace. Officially he is the
officer 'ordonnance, or aide de camp
of the king. Actually he is his play
mate. An excellent mechanic, there is
nobody quite like him, in his majes-
tvs opinion, for fixing broken toy.
One may we'll imagine that king
would have plenty of toys. Michael
has, but he also damages a lot of
them, so he often has need of per-
son possessing Meradares's aptitude.
Prefers Nursery to Throne.
1t has been reported that Michael
was a bashful child. This opinion re-
suited from the fact that on the day
when the address from the throne was
read to parliament and the legislators
arose and acclaimed the new mon
arch, the king chung timidly to the
skirt of his mother and large tears
rolled down his cheeks. But child
so young scarcely could have been
expected to assume suddenly the poise
appropriate to a ruler and to appear
entirely at ease in such solemn cir
cumstances.
In the privacy of his nursery, which
he much prefers to his throne-room,
Michael is as friendly and approacha-
bic as one could wish. He has blonde
hair, blue eyes, roguish mouth. One
can only describe him as charming
little fellow.
Michael talks chiefly in English.
He is being reared by an English
nurse who has spent twenty-five years
as governess to royal children of the
Balkans. There is still another rea-
son for Michael speaking English: it
has long been the language of the Ru-
manian court.
Conscious of His Position.
Though affable in his greeting, Mi
chael is conscious of the dignity of his
position. This is clear to any one who
has seen him make bow or give
military salute. He exhibits a SOL
emn gallantry toward women and al
ways kisses their hands.
The young king is, of course, re-
ceiving a very careful education. The
Princess Helen, since her husband, the
former Crown Prince Carol, wandered
away from his family and gave up
his rights to the throne, has had only
one preoccupation, that of watching
over the health and instruction of her
son.
Several tutors share the response
bility for directing Michaels studies.
A physical instructor gives him les
sons three times week. With the
same frequency he goes horseback
riding, exhibiting real nerve in mount
ing prancing and lively pony. The
king is so attached to his pony that he
often asks to be allowed to take it
into his nursery with him as he does
his other playthings. He was some
what taken aback' upon being told
that even a king could not do such a
thing and regarded the denial as a
grave injustice.
A Courageous Child.
Michael is a courageous child. He
is not afraid of the dark or of thun-
der. There is only one thing he es-
pecially breads: Motor car accidents.
This apprehension dates from two
years ago. Carol, who was then still
making his home in the ace at
Bucharest, was in a danger S collis-
ion. He was taken from beneath his
car badly injured. Michael saw his
father brought home unconscious and
bleeding, and he has never forgotten
the sight.
His other memories of his father,
apart from this accident, are also very
vivid. Up to the age of 4 Michael
found in him an affectionate compan-
ion and playmate. The absence of
Carol and the sadness of the princess,
his mother, apparently are associated
in the mind of the child, who wishes
that the father of whom he was so
fond would return and play with him
again.
1t is assumed that the memory of
Carol is kept alive in the boy kings
mind by his grandmother, Queen Ma
RE, whom he sees every day at the
palace. For, in spite of his faults
and vagaries, Carol remains for Ma
RE favorite child, in whom she takes
perhaps an even greater interest
since the death of King Ferdinand.
The King Was Spanked.
The former King George of Greece
and his consort, the uncle and aunt of
Michael (the former queen of Greece