A Royal Nursery

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3, 30 January 1908, Page 30

A Royal Nursery

The little heir to the Spanish throne has v begun his ; babyhood in a suite of rooms "arranged witirely uflcr the fancy of his royal mother. Spanish etiquette re-"- . quires her to conform to ideas other than her own on nios't points, hut in the fitting of the nursery her word' is law.-.. The furnishing, decorating, and entire arrangement are Engjlish, and offer everything that ;• coaild possibly conduce to a baby.'s health and happi- . ness. " The suite, directly over the queen's apartments, on _ the sunny side of the palace, consists of living-room, dining-room, bedrooms' for the baby and head nurse, „ bath and sewing-*oom. The living-room is decorated in green and white, with showers of little pink rosettes. The vaulted ceiling is enamelled in white, and round the walls "runs a frieze of animals in Noahs-ark-like procession. . Light green shades temper the sunshine. The angles of furniture and walls are all softly rounded, so the approved method -of standing, a naughty ohild^in the corner face to the wall could hardly be ' adopted in this case. the -exception of the rosecolored English carpets, everything An" the suite is washable. The wide window-sills are cozily cushioned ;. an iron lattice, light and lace-like, but very strong, secures the windows -from without. In the . bedroom three large paintings represent • ' Morning,',,' Noon,' and 'Night.' The- -first is a sunshiny, picture of a bfeby awakening in his little bed. ' Noon ' shows him busy with porringer and spotm, and in ' Night ' he has folded his chubby • hands in prayer before going to sleep. 7 The , woodwork is white enamelled, and round the"--ceiling a frieze of, dancing children charms the eye, as does the exquisite tint and design of the blue and white tiling- of, the fireplace. The little prince sleeps in the cradle -that' „ rocked . father and (grandfather before him. It is a stately - affair,' resting on four Corinthian supports. It wasT formerly curtained in the richest lade, flowing from beneath a Spanish crown ; but the young queen mother had the crown removed, lest it fall and .injure the. • royal "sleeper below ; and the lace curtains were suppressed to allow freer access of air. The cradle linen shows embroidery of fairy-like fineness, the outer coverlets being worked with butterflies, « and roises in. white silk. , ' The dining-room furniture is white mahogany, with. . the royal arms of Spain skilfully inlaid in each piece. 1 Throughout, simplicity and good taste distinguish this ideal- dwelling for a. young child. i ' The rooms are considered the best-ventilated! in all Madrid, for the young queen inherits her love of frc>h' air.fromi her grandmother, the Ut?- Q<iei'ti Victoria of England. " " •'