QUEENS GIVE UP FORTUNE

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 January 1934, Page 8

QUEENS GIVE UP FORTUNE

BEQUESTS OF KING MANOEL

LISBON, November 27. Queen Amelia, the mother, ami Queen Augusta Victoria, the widow, of ex-King Manoel, have made a patriotic gesture to the nation which is the subject of appreciative language in a Decree issued here. They have voluntarily renounced part of the inheritance left them by the late King Manoel in order to help in the realisation of the last, wishes expressed in his will to found in Portugal a King Carlos agricultural school, a museum, a library, and other public organisations. King Manoel’s estate includes several valuable collections. In recognition of their action, the Queens are exempted by the Decree from the payment of death duties on the renounced inheritance. The Decree describes Ex-King Manoel as a “great patriot,’’ and considers that the bequests which he made showed pride and love of country, ensuring that his estate should not become the possession of a foreign country.

King Manoel left the use of his private fortune anti Portuguese properties other than those belonging to the House of Braganza, together with his wonderful collection of books, pictures, and other valuable works of art, to Queen Augusta "victoria for life. After her death the collections were to be housed in a museum to be known as that of the House of Braganza.

The remainder of his property, after the death of his widow, was to be distributed for the benefit of a number of charities. King Manoel altogether possessed about 200 different properties in Portugal, and his total fortune had the reputation of being the fourth largest in the country.