The Washington times., 1934-10-11
PETER / DAZED
BY TRAGIC RISE
To THRONE
Addressed by Aide as "Your
Majesty" He RetOrts:
"His Majesty Is Dead"
BY MICHAEL WILSON
international News Service

time since an assassin's bullets de-
prived them of husband and
father, Queen Marie and l1.year-
old King Peter II of Jugoslavia
met in tragic embrace today.
The Queen. whose stoicism en-
abled her to bear up bravely
when she viewed the shattered
body of King Alexander at Mar
seille, shrank from the task of
telling her young son the terrible
details of the tragedy.
She tried to soften the blow
by telling him his father had
met death in an automobile acci-
dent, but there was little likeli-
hood the boy was deceived.
Boy Not Deceived
For when his grandmother,
Dowager Queen Marie Of Ru-
mania, first told him of the trag-
edy in London yesterday, his only
question was:
"But why did they do it?"
When Queen Marie met her son
and clasped him in her arms, the
inevitable reaction from her be-
reavement occurred and she col
lapSed.
She was put to bed in dark
ened bed room, refusing the Serv-
ices Of a physician, but taking
bromideS to quiet her nerves. Her
condition necessitated change in
plans and postponement Of her
departure for Belgrade until this
evening.
Lady .in.Waiting Talks
One of the Queens ladieS-in-
waiting, who accompanied her
from Belgrade and was with her
at Besancon when she received
the first news of the Kings
death, told international News
Service the following story Of the
meeting with her son today:
'T was present when Her
Majesty met King Peter. 1t was
. most touching scene.
Peter ran to meet the Queen
as she entered the room and
leaped into her arms. He Rugged
and kissed her and cried:
Mama, mama, what has
happened to papa
"The Queen was almost hyS-
terical.
"'Oh, my poor little boy, my
poor little Pete she said amid
sObS, Il wonder what they will
do to you next
PETER HELD CLOSE
'The Queen Rugged Peter
close to her and walked up the
stairs to the first floor where
she took him into a room and
asked everyone to leave her
alone with her son.
"They were together for half
an hour. When Peter came out
alone he was in q daze and
moved like an autOmatOn.
"'Oh, why wasn't Papa'S
chauffeur more Careful?' he
said. 1T seems to me he could
have avoided IT,"
It was apparent the child was
confused and bewildered by the
conflicting information given to
him.
Queen Refuses Aid
The lady-in.waiting continued:
although she Is feeling very
I'll and has been taking bro
mideS to quiet her nerves and
permit her to get a little sleep.
she refuses to see doctor. We
were forced to postpone our
departure this afternoon be-
cause the Queen IL distraught
terribly and suffering severely
from the shock Of the Kings
murder.
"But despite her illness and
pain, she Is determined to de-
part this evening and not post
pOne the journey any longer.
''Her Majesty told me: I
can stand the pain, but I must
20 home this evening""
The meeting took place at the
private residence Of the Jugo-
slavian minister here.
Boy King BewiIdered
One Of the court officers, stand
ing in the corridor, told Of King
Peters utter bewilderment. Said
the lady-in-waiting:
"He addressed Peter aS Your
Majesty Peter looked around
and said, dazedly, His Majesty
Is dead. His Majesty isn't here
It seemed impossible for him to
realize he was King"
Accompanied by her mother,
Queen Marie and King Peter are
expected to entrain aboard the
Rumanian royal car, which will be
hitched on the Simplon- Orient ex.
press leaving at 1856 p. m.
Go1linWor po+ionf