MEMOIRS OF A PRINCESS

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 72, 18 December 1928, Page 3

MEMOIRS OF A PRINCESS

LIFE IN ENGLAND AND GERMANY ex-kaiser and his golden journal “The Reminiscences of Daisy, Princess of Pless,” contain stories of meetings with members of all the pre-war Royal families. For 25 years the Princess was behind the scenes in Court, political and social life in England and Germany. While still a girl, she was married to Prince Henry of Pless, a man who was n stranger to me. n Her mother was Mrs. (Patsy) Cornwallis West, a friend of king Edward. The Princess tells an amusing story of King Edward. “I was again in England for the Cowes of 1906,” she writes. I think that was the year that King Edward came ashore Lom the Victoria and Albert one night to play bridge. He dul not want any fuss, brought only one equerry, and they hired a crazy cab to drive them to Egypt House. The driver did not know where it was, and took them to the wrong place. It was quite dark and the equerry got out and rang. A window upstairs was opened, and two outraged old ladies peered out demanding what all the noise was about. The king shouted out that he had come to play bridge with the Duchess of Manchester. The angry ladies declared they knew nothing about either bridge or Duchess; that he was drunk, and that it he did not go away quietly at once they would telephone for the police.” The Princess tells many stories of the ex-Kaiser’s kindnesses to her. “I remember, years ago, at Pless, when some discord had arisen in the Press between England and Germany, I never saw a man more unhappy and affected than the Emperor was when talking to me after dinner. “He said, ‘Oh, I am always misunderstood ; there is no one living to tell the truth to me,’ and a tear fell on his cigar! . . The act of weeping into his cigar, so typically German, somehow put me off. Besides, he was such a good actor: he could make himself do anything. . . .

“He (the Emperor) never saw an ordinary newspaper. There was prepared for him daily a newspaper printed in gold—can anything more hideous be imagined or more tiring to read! It was made up of excerpts from the Press of the world, suitable ones, of course, such as it was considered the Emperor might wish to read. Nothing else. ... “This carefully edited golden journal was for years the only medium through which news of the doings and feelings of the outside world reached the German Writing of the time when her husband refused to accept the Polish Crown, the Princess continues: “I had in my possession a great man.’ highly confidential and secret documents connected with this and other important matters, together with certain letters, which, if published, would compromise many European statesmen. “The dispatch box containing these was stolen from my inaid at a railway station in Berlin. 1 may say that I know quite well where the box went, although, unfortunately, 1 could not organise a counter-theft after the manner of a detective novel. But here my life-long habit of having copies made of all important letters I receive or send stood me in good stead.

“The thieves may like to know that exact and authenticated copies of every document are in existence, and are safely deposited iu the strong room of my bank in London. Oue day they may come in useful in clearing up dark patches of contemporary history.”