PRINCESS MARIE AT HOME.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 16, 22 April 1893, Page 381

PRINCESS MARIE AT HOME.

‘First impressions are always lasting’ is my theory, and the Princess Marie has made a very charming impression here ; her youthful beauty, her bows, her smiles, have won all hearts, and the people in the street freely made their own comments to the effect that she was ‘ frumosa and ‘ veseli ’ —pretty and gay. There was a pretty surprise for the Princess on her first arrival at the Palace ; from the top to the bottom of the grand staircase there were two lines of young girls dressed in white, from one of the national schools, who offered a garland of white flowers to the Princess at the same time with the cry of JHue ati Venit— Roumanian for welcome.

first movement of the Princess was to go to a window and look out; she met the gaze of hundreds of all classes looking upwards at her winsome face. The gala dinner in the evening consisted of the Ministers and their wives, the Presidents of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies and their wives, and part of the Royal household, including the Lady-in-Wait-ing to the Princess, who accompanied her from Coburg, and who assisted at the marriage at Sigmaringen. A torchlight procession, illuminations, public and private, brought to an end the first day of Princess Marie’s occupation of her new home. I am sure that the Roumanians went to bed proud and happy, though mayhap fatigued. Monday was a day of reception. Deputations from official bodies passed before and were introduced to the Princess by the King. In the afternoon Mme. Catargis, the wife of the Prime Minister, accompanied by the wife of the Prefect of llfov, and several other Roumanian ladies, had an audience ot the Princess to present to her the casket which I have already described, and which contained a cheque for 200,000 fr. (£8,000), to be devoted to a charitable institution fixed upon by Her Royal Highness. On Tuesday the following invitations were distributed to those ladies whose husbands hold no official position .-— ‘ The undersigned has the honour to make known to Mme. that a Reception of the Ladies of Society will be held by H.R. H. the Princess of Roumaniaat half-past two on Tuesday, January 26th (old style), in the Palace of the Capital.

‘ Marie Gkeceanu, * Lady in Waiting on H.R. H. P.R. ‘ Toilette de Visite.’ At three p in. a deputation from the English colony residing in Roumania presented an address of congratulation to the Princess. This address is illuminated on the first pane, and is signed by the English residents in the chief towns. It is enclosed in a very chaste and elegantly designed vellum cover of white and gold, emblazoned with the Royal arms, and having a crown and the letters F. ami M. in bold relief. H.B.M.’s Charge d’Affaires, the Hon. C. Hardinge, headed the deputation, while the Hon. Mrs Hardinge represented the married English women, a youog lady from Galatz the unmarried portion of the community, and the ‘men that are to be ' was embodied in the form of a very handsome little fellow, the son of one of the directors of the Roumanian Bank, clad in Highland costume. The Prince and Princess have given 15,000 francs to be distributed amongst the poor of Bucharest and Jassy. The Municipality Ball on February 7 was very brilliant, but the crush was too great to admit of dancing with comfort. The Prince and Princess took part in one quadrille, having for their partners the Mayor and Mayoress, after which they walked round the room with the King, chatted with those whom they knew, and then went up to their box, from which they looked down at the gay and changing scene below. The Princess’s dress was much admired ;it consisted of satin merveilleux, pearl-white in colour, and liberally trimmed with white lilacs. There is but one opinion as to our Princess—viz., that she is charming. With the King she always converses in German ; her French is perfect with the tiniest bit of an English accent, which is going to be the fashiou, while with her husband she speaks English. When they quitted the ball the King himself put on the Princess’s wraps, taking them from the hands of the dame d honneur, and packing her up in the most fatherly way. — The Gentle woman.