TRAGIC QUEEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 250, 4 August 1941, Page 8

TRAGIC QUEEN.

GAVE UP THRONE FOR A KISS,' DIED IN POVERTY, AGED 83. Natalie of Serbia, once a queen and once a beggar, wife of a king who lost his throne, and mother of a king who was murdered by the chiefs of his own army, <,lied in Paris the'other day, writes a special correspondent of the “Daily Express,” London. She died in a convent at the age of 83, almost, friendless, completely poor. But her picture, before me as I write, shows that at the time of her marriage at the age of 16 to Milan, future King of Serbia, she was a; beautiful darkhaired girl. That was in 1875. The marriage was not happy. When their son Alexander was horn Milan began a series of intrigues that scandalised even the easygoing Belgrade Court. There wore scenes of jealousy, many of them in public. Climax came when Milan struck' his queen in Belgrade Cathedral. As the congregation passed out the queen was expected to kiss each woman. She refused to acknowledge one of her husband’s friends. Twice the king shouted: “Kiss her”

. then he struck her. The king’s ministers had to part the struggling pair. Thus the marriage ended . . In 1887 Natalie was 28, and still a beautiful woman. Two years later Milan, driven out by the hostility of tho whole of Europe, abdicated in favour of Alexander, his son. In 1901 ho died.

Alexander’s story is one of tragedy, too. He married Mmc. Draga, daughter of an engineer. Draga was hated by Serbia.

Natalie saw their bodies flung out of a Window of Belgrade Palace when a group of army officers closed the reign of the Obvenoviteh house, and set up a new dynasty.

That was in 1003. Since then Natalie has lived for the most part in France. First, Biarritz, where she hold an almost royal court, until her money ran out, 0 lien . • • Paris. The sisters of Notre Dame do Sion ~-ave her a room. Another friendless soul became her “lady in waiting.” To humour her the nuns called her “Your Majesty.” But “Her Majesty” eventually bad to take out a tin cup to collect alms on the boulevards of Paris. So she existed, a forgotten queen, for nearly 40 years.