NO CROWNS TO WEAR

Evening Star, Issue 19615, 22 July 1927, Page 1

NO CROWNS TO WEAR

PATHETIC QUEENS OF EUROPE ROYAL REFUGEES. The recent death in Brussels of the Empress Charlotte, widow of the illstarred and long dead Maximilian, who for a short space was Emperor of Mexico, followed closely upon the death of Queen Ulga of Greece, an exile in Italy; and the eyes of the world are now focussed on other unfortunate throneless queens whose sorrows are quite as heavy as were those of the Empress Charlotte and of Queen Olga. The Empress Charlotte had been for many years almost completely devoid of reason. The life of Olga of Greece witnessed after another. Her husband, King George, was, murdered; her son, Constantine, was forced to abdicate in 1922, and died the following year.

To-day in different parts of Europe four queens are living in exile—Marie of Russia, Sophie of Greece, Zita of Austria-Hungary, and Araelie of Portugal. At Hoorn lives the Princess Hcrmoiue, who insists upon being called “Her Majesty,” and who considers herself the Kaiserin of Germany. This is a far-fetched claim.

Of the four queens there is perhaps no more pathetic figure than Marie of Russia, who will bo eighty years of ago sopii, and who lives in Copenhagen, the 1 land of her birth* quite alone with her hitter memories of the past. She was a Danish princess and the sister of the ( late Queen Alexandra of England. 1 When she was young she was, like Alexandra, very beautiful, and was, known as the Princess Dagmar. She be-' came engaged to the Tsarevich Nicholas, heir apparent to the throne of all the, Russias. It was a love match that promised great happiness. Nicholas was reputed to be a very brilliant and engaging Prince, and the young couple; seemed to be living in a golden world,, j Her fiance died at Nice, with Princess Dagmar at his bedside. When! Nicholas knew that death was upon him he exacted from the Princess a promise that she would marry his brother, Alex under, who now became heir to the throne. This she did. Marie made a devoted wife, and when a Nihilist bomb brought her husband suddenly to the thron as Tsar Alexander 111. she made it a point to accompany him ' on every possible occasion, sharing his dangers. For this devotion she more ( than once narrowly missed death At ! the time a strong, prejudice exist- I '] in' Russia against foreign primuses, but Marie Foodorovna won a deserved and lasting popularity. Of all the important personages in the Russian Royal family she alone escaped execution at i the brr.ds o! the Bolsh ivn.Ps. I

Tho other day in Florence, Queen Sophie of Greece, accompanied by several members of her household, enteicd a tea room, and ordered waffles and maple syrup. Her face was a study in sadness. Sho did not seem Queen of the Hellenes, but rather a queen of sorrow. Boru a princess, sister of tho ex-Kaiser, married to the nephew of Queen Victoria, Constantine. King of Greece, she must have felt in her earlier years that destiny bad cast her lot happily among the great women of Europe. To-day she is an exile, none too well off financially, living quietly in a small villa on the outskirts of Florence.

Most dramatic lias been the life of Empress Zita of Austria and Hungary. She has never abandoned hope of returning to Hungary and seeing her son Otto upon the ancient throne. Meanwhile this Royal refugee has found asylum in Spain, where the old Palace of Uribarren at Lequeitio has been fitted out for her occupancy. The expenses were borne by popular subscription, to which many Spanish grandees contributed. Royalist banners fly from the palace, windows, and it is said that many monarchist plotters are to be seen in the quaint and quiet streets of the town.

Empress Zita is so poor that the King of Spain sent a telegram to tho Popo asking that she and the children be provided with the necessities of life. Queen Amelia of Portugal, tho first of tho four queens to become an exile, took up her residence in France several years ago, and now lives at Versailles. She was the heroine of the day back in 1908, when the Royal coach bearing King Carlos and other members of the Royal family of Portugal rolled through the streets of Lisbon. There was excitement throughout the town. Suddenly shots were heard, and the King lurched forward. Queen Amelio gathered, her son Manoel close to her, and succeeded in eluding the assassins. Two years later Portugal staged another of its periodic revolutions, and Queen Amelia and Manoel fled; From that day Portugal has been a Republic. The youthful Manoel is a king without a throne.

The country correspondent of a small town newspaper often runs the schoolboy a close second as regards howlers, fn this connection an American magaaine prints an amusing article that contains a number cf “gems.” Here are a few i—“ The mail train did not reach town Thursday evening until quarter to 2. Friday morning.” “The reported mysterious person in the east part of the town several times during tho past week has no foundation whatever. He was arrested while operating a motor car under the. influence op liquor.”