THE POET KING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVI, Issue 12621, 2 October 1901, Page 6

THE POET KING.

A fiiw character-sketch of the King of Sweden and Norway as contributed to the July number of " Pearson's Magazine" by Mr Robert Sherard.

"King Oscar of Sweden and Norway is as much at home in the Royal Cro\W of his country as in the laurel wreath of a' Doctor ,of Philosophy. His Majesty, won the philosopher's bays in just the same way as any other citizen would have earned the distinction —by sheer excellence of work. He is certainly one of the greatest of European philosophers, and is_«s dear to his countrymen in this capacity as in his kingly crown. with,;'the Royal mantle on his shoulders.'.''.-

"All things taken into consideration', one may justly describe King Oscar as the most accomplished King in the world. He is an excellent musician, he is a great traveller, he is a doctor of philosophy, he is a popular poet, and a splendid speaker. He lias the. reputation also of being a wit. And he has found time to distinguish himself in all "these ways in spite of the'fact that he has had, "as a King-, one of the most difficult tasks that has fallen to the lot of any monarch of recent years. For he has to wear two crowns and whatever may be the case-with a. single crown, tnefe can be no disputing the fact that the head that ■wears two crowns always lies uneasy. "King Oscar has to wear the crown of Sweden and the crown of Norway, and between Sweden and Norway there is little love lost. A very large party in Norway absolutely refuses'to admit that there exist any common ties whatever between the two countries. They claim to be a' people entirely distinct, from the Swedes, and consider it -the worst insult that can be levelled against a Norwegian to describe him as the fellow-countryman: of a Swede. • "These Norwegian irreeoncilables hold that in the partnership of the two countries Sweden is always the favoured nation; they accuse the. King of this favouritism, they complain that he rarely visits Ohristiania, although he is bound to do so by their constitution, and they oppose every effort that he may" make to foster a better feeling between the two countries. This state of affairs gives great concern- to King Oscar, whose dearest wish dt is that the two nations should become, as they are described on the coins which bear his effigy, 'brother peoples.' "The King insists strongly, by the way, that he shall be knowh. as-' Oscar 11., King of Sweden and Norway'; though in this country nine out of ten people, when speaking of "his Majesty, would refer to him simply as the 'King of 'Sweden-.' \Vhen visiting abroad, the King and the Queen travel strictly incognito, as the Count and Countess von Haga."