THE PRINCESS OF WALES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11885, 8 May 1899, Page 3

THE PRINCESS OF WALES.

(From “ 2LA*P") In. private, the Princess of Wales is f<vf -more vivacious than those who have. only, observed her placid dignify when before the public gaze would imagine. Heir tact is always conspicuous. The Empress Frederick; who has the reputation of being one of the cleverest women in Europe, and can tackle any man living on scaentific and political subjects, is far behind .her sister-in-law in Hlifl respect. Our future Queen’s tactfulness; indeed, has rendered her greater service than any other quality,she possesses. 'The Princess, whose mother was a German, and who has naturally had much intercourse with German princes and princesses at our own Court, speaks .the , language of the. Fatherland with ranch greater ease than any other. Somehow, she-has never quite mastered the,intricacies-of English “.as she is’spoke.” When first she: came ovef to her husband’s country, her knowledge was of the most ele* mentaty sort, and the Duke of Edinburgh, then a jolly young sailor, amused himself with teaching her every imaginable slang expression, which she, quite innocently, adopted. The Queen’s surprise may be well pictured when her -new daughter-in-law , naively remarked at table that a certain great statesman was a “ slap-up trump,” and that she hoped Her Majesty felt a “jolly, lot better for her forty winks.” As a mother the Princess shines preeminently. * Every morning, 'at 9 o’clock, when her daughters were still children, she paid a regular visit to the schoolroom, looked through, every exercise they t had written, and generally made inquiries as to the progress of their studies. The Princess . manages to keep up a continual correspondence with the. members of her family, to whom she is most fondly attached. She never allowed a day to pass without writing to her other, the Queen of Denmark—whose recent death has proved a terrible blow to this most devoted of daughters—-or to either of her sisters, the Dowager-Empress of Russia and the Duchess of Cumberland. Without being particularly accomplished, the Princess is a very pretty sjnger and performer on the piano—Sir Charies Halle was her “professor”—whilst the zither is her favourite instrument.

Then she is fond of painting in watercolours, and shows a good deal of taste in art needlework, nor does she despise plain sewing and dressmaking. Once, when Madame A—— (a certain fashionable dressmaker, who shall be nameless) sent her home a gown which proved anything but a good fit, her Royal Highness, through a third person, gave quite minute directions as to the alteration of seams and gussets, adding with a good-natured smile, “ You know, it' is useless, to send me such a bodice as that, because I know all about it. At home, in Denmark, my two sisters and I had one lady’s maid between us, and to often made up our own dresses; I can. assure you!”. The Princess is 'a remarkably well-read woman, and enjoys the companionship of clever and distinguished people, but society, in the ordinary sense of the word, has noi particular charms for her.