ROYALTIES AT WAR.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 276, 26 December 1914, Page 7

ROYALTIES AT WAR.

A STORY OF 3JHE EMPRESS - EUGENIE.

''Vanity Fair," an English periodical, publishes an interesting article on the Kings and Queens of the warring nations. '

The Royal ladies who are particularly concerned are the Powager Empress Marie, the Empress of Russia (whose correct title is not Empress, but Czaritsa), the German Empress, the Queen of the Belgians, the Queen of Italy, and Queen Mary. Austria-Hungary has had no Empress since the assassination of Elizabeth, but the Emperor-King has some married daughters, who, with numerous other Archduchesses, are anxious, as they may well be, at the intervention of Russia on behalf of the £>er-i vians. The King of Servia has no wife, living, and there is a Queen of Monte-! negro, and, her daughter is Queen of j Italy. There is also a Dowager Queen of Italy, a woman of high gifts and at-j tainments. 1

Another great lady who is deeply concerned in this Homeric struggle, which may prove to be an Armageddon, is the Empress Eugenie, who, in 1906, was the guest of tne "Emperor Francis Joseph at Ischi, They had met only once previously since the war of 1870. It was at the hotel at Cap Martin, where the Emperor was making a short Austria was staying at the Cap MaTtin Hotel) the Emperor arrived at 6 o?clock;FsOne morning, and immediately said to the manager: "Mr Ullrich, will you i>e good enough to go across to' Villa Cyrnos, present my respectful compliments, and beg her Imperial Majesty the Empress Eugenie to nam© any hour convenient to herself when she can honour me with an audience?"

In a great state of excitement at so unexpected and .slightly. embarrassing a message, the widow of Napoleon 111. summoned up her courage, and said: "Please tell his Imperial Majesty that I shall be delighted to see him at 9

o'clock." At that hour Mr TlUrieh '. \ conducted the Emperor Francia Joseph • \ to the villa, and accompanied him The Empress. appeared immedi- - ately, coming from her room in the corridor, with the intention, in accordance with strict etiquette) of meeting her august visitor half-way, The £mperor f - with outstretched arms, hastened. to meet her, and exclaimed, holding both her hands: "I did not want"to interrupt ' you." Then the Empress broke down, and burst into tears as the Emperor took her affectionately by the arm aji& led her into her Toom. The -conversation was a long one, and will never lx> recorded, for no one was present except the two Majesties.