KING'S GUEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15500, 6 January 1914, Page 5

KING'S GUEST.

THE ARCHDUKE FRANCIS. A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND' HOME. [feom ottb ow.: cobresponbent.] London, November 21. The arrival in England as a guest of the King of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria, heir-presumptive of the Empire of Austria and the kingdom of Hungary, has brought this little-kr.own Royal personage more fully before the notice of the public. The Archduke has never courted popularity, and he is not a familiar figure in Vienna. " The climate of Vienna," write* a diplomatic correspondent, " with its boisterous winds, which sweep into the lungs the finedust from the limestone of which the city is built, does not suit the Archduke, who suffers greatly from colds, and he generally prefers to winter elsewhere. During the winter months he usually goes to the island of Brioni, an idyllic spot off the Istrian coast near Pola, Here the Archduke can live a life of absolute privacy wrapped up in his family, consisting of two young sons and an only daughter, tended with loving care by his wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, and following with intense interes*, various experiments he is making J in the acclimatisation of tropical flora and I fauna on this fairy-like island of the AdriI atic. The Archduke is a keen horticul- ! tunst, and his knowledge of gardening and . flowers is far above the amateur standard. On the island there is also an experimental ostrich farm, in which the Archduke takes a mild interest, but which, together with a number of exotic animals which roam the island, is a source of perpetual amusement to the Archduke's children. "Brioni also permits the Archduke to indulge his taste for yachting, and the numerous cruises he undertakes in his small steam yacht enable him to combine business with pleasure. He makes frequent trips up and down the coast to the dockyards at Pola, and frequently pays surprise visits to the fleet in the Adriatic. Residence in Bohemia. "The delights of snow sports have of late years attracted the Archduke and his family to St. Moritz. where the Duchess of Hohenberg and the children are regularly seen on the ice during their stay. Late autumn and early spring generally find the Archduke and his family at Konopischt, his favourite residence, buried in trees in the depths of Bohemia. The Duchess of Hohenberg. who springs from an old Czech stock, was probably instrumental in persuading the Archduke to make a country residence in this spot. In 1887, where the pa., of Konopischt now stands was a bare and inhospitable stretch of the Bohemian plains, great granite boulders protruding through the scanty soil. The Archduke purchased the ancient tower, dating from the 11th century, and the newer buildings which had been added to it in. the year 1746, and set himself to cultivate the barren ground surrounding the castle. An ardent horticulturist, the Archduke first began by laying out gardens on the plan o famous ones he had visited on his travel* through the world. Part of the grounds at Konopischt is laid out after the model of Lenotre's famous masterpiece at Versailles, with beautiful terraces giving views down long avenues of trees, losing themselves in the distance. Close to the castle there is a robe-garden, which is one of the most famous in Europe, and everywhere throughout the grounds statues and busts have been placed, always with a view to harmony with the picture. A Gardening Expert. "The Archduke is a great lover of trees, and is constantly at pains to obtain new effects in the park. His methods of judging these effects before the trees are actually planted are rather original. Soldiers are summoned and are placed in rows to represent the appearance of trees in an avenue, or stand on hillocks thrown up by the sappers to let the Imperial gardener judge of the effect of a, clump of trees in some particular spot. Konopischt is rich in timber, especially limes and coniferous trees. The grounds abound with great 'stretches of verdant green sward, which are unique in this part of the country, and are only possible as the place is damp and lies low near the river. In the springtime the Japanese cherry garden, planted in Japanese style, from trees which the Archduke brought back with him from his voyage round the world, is a wonderful sight. A dairy farm and a market garden are also attached to the castle. " The onerous duties of inspector-general of the Austro-Hungarian Army and Navy, which have fallen to the Archduke's lot since August last, when he was appointed to the post, will doubtless curtail in future his sojourns in Konopischt and Brioni. Throughout the prolonged strain of 'the Balkan crisis the Archduke was prominent in the weighty councils at which the aged E.Tiperor discussed the menacing international situation with his advisers. Though the education of his children and the life of a country gentleman appeal more , to him than the cares of State, the Arch- ' duke is initiating himself into all branches of the conduct of affairs in preparation for the day when the sceptre must fali i-om the weary hands of t'..- ■> snorat'i >>t - ..-; . who has ruiid r.vei .'..stria-}- . >;*■,•» si) wisely and r>-.- long.' 1