Washington Journal., 1943-01-01
GLIMPSES OF SOME CONTEMPORARIES
The Last Queen of Naples
By EDWIN EMERSON

lC1Al IN ups wv
dangling down our necks. We all liked to
walk under the arcades of the Court Garden
Mademoiselle because of the elegant folks
who strolled there-Georgie and because OF
the pictures on the inner wall, bright colored
|~frescoes Of battle scenes and southern land
|scapes.
As we walked along the arcades that day,
Mademoiselle halted suddenly, exclaiming:
r. Volta, Ieuy ma3csteeS, les ReiReSi' Two
ladies approached us, followed by two lackeys
in livery. Mademoiselle, showing us to one
side, babe us take off our caps and make a
deep bow. AT the same moment she sank
down in a low courtesy, as did other ladies,
while the gentlemen with them DOTTED their
hats, bowling stif1y.
George promptly snatched off his cap, but
mine fitted so tight over my curly hair that
[ could not get it off, though | pulled at it
with both my hands.
The ladies approaching us also stopped
short and glanced down at me, smiling merri-
|lv. Then one stopped down, lifted me up in
her arms and kissed me, while | still clutched
at my cap.
"Who are these children? Are they
IScotch?'', asked one Of the queens in Ger
man. Mademoiselle, who knew but little Ger
man, answered in French "Not quite, Your
Majesty. They are the children Of Professor
Emerson Of America. He is a Scotch Presby-
l~terian.'
"Tiens, items; Am6ricainsP, said the other
Queen. ''They are from a New World and
need not doff their caps to Old World royal
ties Herewith she set me down, while |
managed to pull the tight cap off my head at
last.
Then followed a few rapid words in French
to Mademoiselle, whereupon the two ladies
passed Oh, followed at a respectful distance
by their Iackeys.
Mademoiselle explained to George and me
that we had received a great honor. We were
invited to come to the Royal Palace next Sun
day, after church.
When we got home, Mademoiselle excitedly
tcld Father and Mother Of our encounter with
SsTheir Majesties' the two Queens, and Of
our invitation to the palace. From her talk
it appeared that one of the two royal ladies
was the Queen Dowager Of Bavaria, the other
her relative Maria Sofia of Wittelsbach, the
late Queen of Naples.
Mother got almost as excited as Mademoi-
selle about our meeting the two queens, but
Father took it more soberly. Anyhow he gave
his approval to our forthcoming visit to the
palace, but he frowned on Mademoiselle's
suggestion that Mother should come along.
On Sunday, after we had been dressed in
our best, and had our faces and hands washed
all they shOne, we were marched to the Eng
fish Church by Father and Mother. After
lie service Mademoiselle, whose Catholic reli-
gion forbade her to enter the Anglican
Church, met us at the door and took us to
the nearby palace.
AT the great portal we were stopped by two
tall guards in white and silver uniforms,
shouldering halberts with hatchets at their
ends. Mademoiselle, in broken German, told
the s~entries of our errand. One Of them
called for a lackey, who came forth, wearing
D powdered wig and white silk stockings. He
took us inside and up a flight of steps. There
he knocked at a door. It was opened by a
maid, who said: "Ach, ia, de dmerikanischem
hsnder!' Letting us into a large parlor, she
led us across a highly polished floor through
another door into a more coy room, where
several ladies sat around a large table.
One Of them arose and took us to another
door, which she opened after gently knocking.
We were ushered into a beautiful chamber
with gilt furniture and large mirrors on the
walls. There sat the two Queens. We we're
taken up on their laps. The elder lady had
George. | sat on the lap Of Queen Maria
Sofia. She herself told me her name. They
talked prettily to us in French, asking us how
we liked the Court Garden, its fountains and
flowers, and the pictures on the arcade wall.
Then they set us down and a lady-in-waiting
brought two splendid paper boxes and opened
them. They were full of wonderful candies.
Iii their midst lay two little crowns, one of
gilded sugar, the other of chocolate. We
reached for those crowns, but Mademoiselle
stopped us, saying: "No, not those, you must
bring those candy crowns home to your par
ents for keepsakes."
So we had to content ourselves with some
of the other sugarplums, glad enough to get
them. Once more Queen Maria Sofia took me
up in her arms. Mademoiselle, whipping out
her handkerchief, hastily wiped my sticky
mouth, and again the gracious queen kissed