QUEEN ALEXANDRA IN THE HIGHLANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 72

QUEEN ALEXANDRA IN THE HIGHLANDS.

THE JUBILEE OF BALMORAL. If, of all the King's Homes, Sandringham is nearest to his heai't, there can be littls doubt that Balmoral, with its 40 years of happy memories, mxy claim the second place in his affection. Indeed, apart from long association, it would be difficult fop anyone not to fall in love with the King's beautiful and poniantb seat iv the Highlands To Queen Vie- • tori a it was always the "dearest place in ali the world — the only place, in fact, where I am permitted to forget that I am ! a Queen." "Every year," she wrote in her ' diary, ''my heart becomes more fixed in this dear paradise ; and so much more now that it has become my dearest Albert's

own creation, owa work, own building, own laying out, as Osbome was ; and Ms great taste and the impress of his dear hand have been stamped everywhere." It is just over half a . century since- the 3 r oung Queen proucJly .bid the foundation, stone of the present house, which was to take the place of the pretty and quaint old: Scottish castle, the survival of many centuries, and in the autumn of 1854, though the building was but half finished, the impaiieot young Sovereign insisted on taking possession of it. Incomplete as it was, she fell into instant raptures over it, and wrote enthusiastically, "The new house looks beautiful. An oM shoe was thrown after us for luck as we entered the hall. The house is charming, the rooms delightful, the furniture, papers, everything, perfection. The view from the windows is quite beautiful." And, indeed, the Queen's enthusiasm could not paint her "new home in too bright colours, for there is no home in the King's dominions more picturesquely and romantically placed than Balmoral: The house, it is true, with its gables and mullions, turrets- and square tower, its magnificent oriel window and its imposing may not satisfy the demands of scientific aichitec- , ixwe, biit none'-caiwdciiyr it a charm an -I beauty of its own, while' its setting of -fir -woods and park sloping to" the beautiful 'Dee, of towering hPls and wildi sweeps of purple moorland, is of, unrivalled beauty. In- such a place* the world of courts and. ceremonial pDurp, of «-tress and storm, seems left ifar behind, and the most harassed Sovereign in the world should fine it easy to, .persuade himself that hi is not a King, but a>free}- untr.ainm'elkA child of Nature. Queen Victoria, when she first looked on it, painted its charms exquisitely in these words : ''Tho view is charming. To the left you look towards the beautiful hills ■ surrounding Lochnagar, and. to the right, -towards Ballater, to the glen along which tbo Dee winds, -with.. beautiful wooded hills which reminded me very much of the Thuringerwald. It was so calm, so .solitary, and it did one so much good as one gazed around ; and the pure mountain air was most- refreshing. ,All seemed to breaths, freedom^ and " peace, and to make vie forget the world and its sad. turmoils. The scenery is wildi and -yet not desolate." T.or Queen Alexandra, as for Queen Victoria,' the* -place is full of nappy memories of her* early years" ."of. w.eddld life, when sii% r ,Jfainbled over tie moors' and plucked , the. heather -with uh.er v jbusband i >y her side,, wlten.he t taxigh't, 'her- to. "wield a rod on the' banks of the, Dee, tuid Vheii she* made her first friends among her lowly and devoted- Scottish neighbeurr There aTe those rt}ll "living who can recall ' the first visits c)f the beautiful young Princess to their coft'age;: bow'she wotil-d take the 'little ones o"n lier, knees, ftelpVome naif-blind old dame with her knitting; or minister tenderly by the bedside of'the, sxcir .One of Jher j earliest favourites was old 'Mock" -'Simpson, <a T . 'pensioner who. at Copenhagen., had foiigM against the PrinceiisHs 'coiiutrym^r..' ..JSi.it" this past antagonism pnly increased Tiepinterest in tb& old "Veteran? an 3 shf insisted ' on seeing the cutlass 'and musket he carried, and on hsaring|fhe story of the fighting. ISTo wonder tli at Jock's heart -was quickly won, m that to'- his last day lie treasured so proudly the chair wliicl' wa 1 ; "tie fennuie Princess's am gift:'" • ■ ' • / - . Amid sxioh loving ajid loyal neighbours, qcd surrounded b-y, ihe richest treasures of scen'ary ' Scotland can'rhow "even to so fair a Hdy, who can doubt that Queen Alexandras visits -to Balmoral are^'fifll of quiet d<- r li^ht''? She .love? "to renew memories ■ of tlie neighbouring ABergeldie Castle, with? its 'historic square ' keep and round, cling- - ing turrets, where she spent- so many happy days with the- King; and of BirkhaTl, a charming little place, where her husband m.-'de his 'bachelor home before he sought his bride in Denmark. Then, 'within an easy walk or drive are of the inqst romantic aid beautiful sisrbvts to he seen irv Scotland — the lovely fplls of Garrawalt, in their green, setting: of trees : the Linn of .Dee^.with the dark waters , srrirling and seething deep down in its rocky emerge:. Bvaemar. reached- by the beautiful "Queen's Drive" "through the romantic forest of Ballochb;iue,; and the Earl, of .-Mar's Punch-bowl, once filled toth.e brim -w'itl\ whisky -teddy for .the followers of "Bonnie Prince Charlie." Not feU - away is Mar, LodgeT the. home of th-e Queen's daughter, the Duchess of Fife, with " the" neighbouring, Corriexniuizie Falls ; Chld+roch and Ben Bou*cl, mountains towering over 3000 ft, to climb ;, long stretchsis of glorious rooqrland to, tra.mp over ; the; tempting -waters of th-e Dee to fish in — ■ and a hundred other charms' to explore — ail prepared to do their part in making an id<ial "holiday' for a Queen.

c—lnc — In spite of the strictest precautions, the South African diamond companies, it is estimated', lose over £400,000 a year by the thoft of precious stones.