The Tsar’s Children.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 23, 10 June 1905, Page 42

The Tsar’s Children.

The little Russian princesses do nov quite bear out the prevailing impression that all the children of the crowned heads of Europe are necessarily paragons of perfection or little prudes. These small girls arc children in every sense of the word, warm-hearted, mischievous, high-spirited, free of speech, unfettered of action, and possessed of a full appreciation of their own exalted rank. The latter is quite particularly true of the fair-haired, blue-eyed Grand Duchess Olga; she has often been known to stop her little pony carriage in the parks of Pcterhofl’—the Tsar’s summer residence —to call to order some passer-by who had failed to accord her the attention she considered due to an Emperor’s da ugh ter. Here is an anecdote about thi- consequential little lady which has not found its way into print before:—One day last summer, whm the Court was stiil at Peterhoff, the four little duchesses Avere playing on the beach in front of the Alexandrine Palace, when they saw. some distance away, a you ng officer, who, with casquette thru-t back from bis hot. perspiring foiehead. was engro-sed in supervising a group of tired-looking sailors executing a difficult piece of work. The nun. on perceiving the children’s approach. instantly suspended their labour, and, standing at attention, rendered them the full military honours that were their due. This amused the little girls to such an e?;t?nt that they instantly abandoned their game to strut demurely up and down in front of the workers, who were thu< compelled to neglect their labour and salute each time they passed. This went on for some time, until the officer began to lose patience. Observing that, the little girls meant to continue their game indefinitely, be quietly ordered the men to go on with their work and take no further notice of them. To the Grand Duchess Olga's amazement then, no one moved to acknowledge her presence a moment later when she came tripping along the path. She gazed first at the officer, then at the sailors, as if at a 10-s whom to hold responsible f«»r this gioss act of contempt to her Imperial person. Then, stamping her small foot, she cried, “Salute at once, or I’ll tell papa!”