DEATH OF THE EMPRESS FREDERICK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12573, 7 August 1901, Page 5

DEATH OF THE EMPRESS FREDERICK.

EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. BERLIN, August 5. The Dowager-Empress Frederick died this evening. fH.E.H. Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise Princess Roval of .England, was born on Nov. 21. 1840, and was married on Jan. 25, 1858, to H.R.H. the Crown Prince Xh-edcrick. William of Prussia. Her husband died on June 15, 1838, a few months after ascending the throne of Germany.) (Received August 7, 12.57 a.m.) BERLIN, August 6. The Empress’s private chaplain spent an hour in the sick room in the morning. Ail her children, excepting Prince Henry, wer/5 present. Death, which .came peacefully at a- quarter past six, was due to- dropsy, following on cancer. The Empress was conscious until the end, the Rev. F. Feigyoutfi Shore, Canon of Worcester, and who acted as chaplain ordinary to the late Queen Victoria, praying. Much sympathy is expressed in Germany for King Edward, owing to the suddenness of the death preventing his attendance. LONDON, August 6. The German and English newspapers reflect the new kindliness felt by the two nations for each other in the common affliction of the Imperial and Royal Families. King Edward and tho Queen will start for Kronstad probably to-moiTC-w, -and attend the obsequies at Potsdam. . Parliament to-morrow will pass a motion of condolence with the King and the K;;iser‘ ' ' ' > (Received August 6, 11 p.m.) MELBOURNE, August 6. The Federal Senate and House and the Queensland and Smith Australian Assemblies adjourned out of respect to tbs memory of the Empress Frederick. Mr Barton and other leaders eulogised her private character and beneficial influence in strengthening tho relations between Britain and Germany. The flags in the capitals were lowered to half-mast-. In the course of an article entitled “ The Most Unhappy and Most Brilliant Woman in the World,” an -English paper recently said: Eldest of the Princesses of England, Victoria Adelaida Mary Louise was favoured of fortune. Naturally brilliant, she had every advantage that a mighty empire could give. Spoiled, perhaps, she had ah iron will at six j'enrs old. In illustration of this, the story is told; that one day in a State review at Aldershot with- a cavalcade of officers galloping at the side of‘the Queen’s carriage, Princess Victoria dropped her handkerchief out of the window in order to see Generals and Marshals scramble to pick it . up. The Queen saw the movement, signalled to the officers not to touch the bit of lace, stopped the carriage, and ordered the child to get- out and pick up the handkerchief. But the Queen -of Great Britain and Ireland could not enforce the command, and the carriage drove on, leaving the flimsy lace, lying in the dust. But as she grew towards cultured womanhood, a strong affection grew up between this mother and daughter, and in filter years the child took on the features of England’s Queen in marked degree. At eleven years old the Princess Royal of Great Britain met the Crown Prince of Germany. The young Frederick had gone to England' on a visit in 1851. They proved to be congenial children, and England was not surprised six years later when their engagement was announced. On January 25, 1858, they were married in the chapel of St James’s Palace, London. The wedding was described' as remarkable for its display of rich costumes, the nervousness ■of the German Crown Prince, and the almost child-like simplicity of the Princess. But if the marriage was well received in England, the Prussian Kingdom was shaken to-its foundations.. Bismarck, tho Iron Chancellor, set his face against it, anj! in every -way possible he used his influence against T ‘ the Englishwoman,” as he called! her. His attitude was reflected in the press aud she was pictured as a foreign interloper, intent upon Anglicising Prussia-. This was more readily acceptable for the reason that the Princess had iriadie an effort to introduce some of the liberal ideas then prevalent in England. Out of Tier strong intellect and strong personality she set her. face against the intellectual darkness that Prussia was disposed to accord to women; she stood for education for women and for a certain political influence-for them; she antagonised some of tho remnants of privileges of the old feudal system, and: even set herself up as a> democrat. Bismarck hadl accused- her of poisoning the Hohenzollem blood at its source, simply through marriage.. When, he heard and saw her-innovati-ons, he accused her of being a woman's rights woman, and declare d that red’revolution was being enthroned , at Berlin. As a result, she was' hissed at the capital. Stones were thrown at her -carriage. . Even when accompanied by the' Crown Prince she was not secure from, insult. This treatment from his people, while he knew that they loved him, was a trial to the young prince, but he never faltered, and as long as he lived the princess was sure of his affection. As for her political position she was troubled. Tho story is told that in the height of her unpopularity she wrote to John Stuart Mill, the English philosopher, and advocate of woman’s rights, asking him to pay a visit to the house of the Crown Prince. Mill sent aletter, refusing to come, explaining that such a visit could do no good, but much harm. He said that on his side he would .be accused of selling his republicanism for royal smiles, while she would be charged with allowing -her philosophy to lower royal -dignity. “ Unhappy—unhappy,” she is said to have cried: “the Chancellor and Germany will have nothing to do with me because they think me a: democrat, and the democrats ignore mei because one day 1 may fie a Queen.” That she finally became Queen, too, was due to her -own indomitable will and energy. While the old Emperor Wilhelm lay dying, the Crown Prince was known to have the disease that finally killed him. Bismarck was alive to the opportunity. Under the German) law, no heir to the throne can become Emperor if afflicted with an incurable disease. All the Court physicians were under the thumb of tire Chancellor, and if he could get them to see the Prince, and , say “ cancer,” he knew that he would blight the hopes of the Englishwoman.” But no one. lurew better than tie Englishwoman herself. She shut the doors against the German tools of the Chancellor, and sent for Sir Morell Mackenzie, .the great- English surgeon. EVeiy chance of consultation was refused to the German physicians. A crown stake—and the woman won. Dr Mackenzie's opinion was that no incurable disease menaced the Crown Prince, and no one assailed bis finding. At tho death of t ie elder William, the -son .assumed the throne of the father, and for the three moiu-hs ct his life reffiaining, Victoria Louise was Empress of Gennany. On the throne the Empress took up the study of her husband s malady. In this she showed her remarkable versatility and intellect. - Lir Morel Mackenzie, writing of -her. at \ time, said -that v, a- physician might havA talked with the ■ Empre-s

for a.u hour and not discovered a break in her knowledge of the disease. “No wonder,” said a commentator, that when Edward YIJ. was asked who was 'he cleverest woman he. had ever met, he should answer with so much decision, 'My sister, the* Dowager Empress of Germany.’ ” But the recovery for which the Empress prayed and worked did not come., Frederick 111., after ninety-nine days on the throne, died of cancer of the throat. Then from her position of power, where she had only the hatred of the German, people, she passed to the obscurity which steadily hies been deepening around, her. Writing of the last days of the Empress Dowager, the “New York Sun's” unusxrtilly well- informed correspondent in Paris draws a striking picture of tha Kaisers attitude towards his mother in both past and present. “ Few mothers have' suffered more from their children than this unhappy Empress from the Kaiser. I.have heard a German officer relate a favourite device of William’s to humiliate his mother during his grandfather’s reign. . The first Emperor Wilhelm, though not an unkind eld fellow in his way, was an autocratic ruler of his household, and, even, his strongwilled daughter-in-law never dreamed of resisting him. He would sometimes send an order to the Crown Princess by her son, young Wilhelm. Tire boy would rudely enter his mother’s presence and, as_ if in his own name, bid her to do the thing —perhaps to preside' at some function, perhaps to leave Berlin for a brief visit to Potsdam. Naturally resenting the young _ man’s insolent , manners, the unhappy, mother would refuse to do as he desired. He would let her commit herself definitely to the refusal, often before other people, then would ask her with- a triumphant sneer whether' he was to bring the Emperor word that the Crown Princess despised the command of her Sovereign. The brutality, cub the mother to the quick'; violent scenes constantly took place, and the haughty woman, who never feared to confront the stormy rage of the Chancellor, would cry and wring her hands in despair ever the conduct of her son. Long after the miasterful young man had become Emperor in his turn and had broken Bismarck, her life-long enemy, he still took a strange pleasure, if report be true, in wounding and slighting his mother in her lonely widowhood. 4 Even now he., scarcely ever sees her; when he does it is only for a formal visit of a few minutes, a concession to 111=0 outward decencies. After the death of her mother, Queen Victoria, he paid such a visit, in company with his" uncle, the new King, and probably at his urgent request. That formal call of condolence will likely be the last until he, is summoned to the death scene that may any day take place.” , .