TRAGIC QUEEN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21993, 19 June 1941, Page 2

TRAGIC QUEEN

GAVE UP THRONE FOE A KISS Natalie of Serbia, once a queen and once a beggar, wife of a king who k:t his throne, and mother of a king who was murdered by the chiefs of his own army, died in Paris the other day, writes a special correspondent of the "Dally Express,” London. She died in a convent at the age of 83, lonely, almost friendless, completely poor. But her picture, before me as I write, shows that at the time of her marriage at the age of 16 to Milan, future King of Serbia, she was a beautiful dark-haired girl. That was in 1875. The marriage was not happy. When their son Alexander was born Milan began a series of intrigues that scandalised even the easygoing Belgrade court. There were scenes of jealousy, many of them to public. Clima:: came when Milan struck his “ueen to Belgrade Cathedral. As the congregation passr ’ out the queen was expected to kiss each woman. She refused to acknowledge one of her husband’s friends. Twice the king shouted: “Kiss her” . . . then he struck her. The ng’s ministers had to part the struggling pair. Thus the marriage ended. . . . In 1887 Natalie was 28. and still a beautiful woman. Two years later Milan, driven out bv the hostility of favour of Alexander, his son. 7 1901 he died.

Alexander’s stoiy is one of tragedy, too. He married Mme. Draga, daughter of an engineer. Draga was hated by Serbia. Natalie saw their bodies flung out of a window of Belgrade Palace when a group of army officers closed the reign of the Obrenovitch house, and set up a new dynasty. That was to 1903. Since then Natalie has lived for the most nart to France. First, Biarritz, where he held an almost royal court, until her money ran out. Then . . . Paris. The sisters of Notre D ide Sion gave her a room. Another friendless soul became her “lady in waiting.” To humour her the nuns called her “Your Majesty.” But “Ker Majesty” eventually had to take out a tin cup to collect alms on the boulevards of Paris. So she existed, a forgotten queen, for nearly 40 years.