HOBBIES OF CROWNED HEADS.

Mataura Ensign, 23 July 1914, Page 7

HOBBIES OF CROWNED HEADS.

The award to the King of Italy of a prize from the Frenc-h Academic des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres in connection with his numismatic work suggests gome other hobbies of crowned King George is an ardent stamp collectoraid his sister, the Queen of Norway, is said to derive much amusement from her collection of press .clippings giving inaccurate' accounts of her own doings. , King Edlvard' liad a most curious lidbby, the collection of the avoirdupois of his 'friends, all of whom had to undergo tHe ordeal of the Sandringliam scaj'BS, the host himself keeping the book of rectmls.

Queen Victoria's hobbv in collections was rather <t melancholy one, taking the form sepulchral memorials of her friends and relations.

The Kaiser, of course, has innumerable hobbies in art, music and letters, and in' addition he has the finosD collection of uniforms in the world. Louis XVl.'s tastes ran in the direction of clocks, and George IV. made one of tiie finest collections of snuff boxes ever assembled, in, addition.' to .'WO whips and 600 poclietbooks ,which were found at his death.