/ALEXA THE DANISH BRIDE WHO CAVE BRITAIN HER GREAT HEART "Sea King's Daughter from Over Sea" Beloved of Nation A GRACIOUS QUEEN Her Life Crowded With Mo- mentous Events--An Ex- ample to Womanhood The gracious lady whom we have all known as Queen Alexandra--the consort of His late Majesty King Edward VII.,--has been called "the most exquisite figure that has ever graced the story of the British Royal House." Quietly and without parade or show this "Sea King's daughter from over the Sea" fulfilled the high tests of her exalted station, and was none the less a tender-hearted woman because she was also a Queen. What Queen Alexandra has actually done for the British people can scar. cely be computed; a thousand deeds must needs sink into oblivion, but she has consistently befriended women and children, the unemployed, soldiers and sailors, hospitals and nurses, and home industries. Neither must it be forgotten that Her Majesty has ever set an example of sweet and lofty womanhood, coupled with absolute sincerity in word and deed, and that she has set a lofty standard by her perfect domesticity and true mother- hood. It is somewhat difficult to believe that two generations have elapsed since Alexandra made her triumphant and never-to-be-forgotten entrance in- to the heart of the British Empire and the affections of its people. During ali this time the royal lady had worked assiduously for the welfare of the people, identified herself with their interests and sympathized with them in their afflictions. This long " period of Her Majesty's life has been full of memorable and historical events, and full of the joys and sor- rows common to all humanity. Al- ways, however, the Empire's love and reverence has been with her, and its love and loyalty was as surely hers In her last years as it was when she shared the throne of Great Britain, When Alexandra went from Den- mark to England in 1863 as a girl of nineteen and the bride of the heir. apparent to the British throne, she quickly won the hearts of the British people by her beauty, grace and charm. During the rest of her long life she showed so strong a sympathy for the people of her adopted country that the weight of her years and sor- rows only more firmly endeared ber to the British public and to the people of Greater Britain beyond the seas. The interest taken in her was a per sonal one, increased with every new story of her kindness. Lord Tennyson never spoke more surely and prophetically than when addressed the bride of 1863 in his stately 'Welcome to Alexandra': *O joy to the people and joy to the throne, Come to us, love us and make us your own For Saxon or Dane or Norman we, Teuton or Celt or whatever we be, 'We are each all Dane In our welcome of thee, Alexandra!" A STRIKING CONTRAST. The contrast between Great Britain as It was when Alexandra entered the country as a bride, and as it was on her death, is a striking one. In 1863 there were no telephones, no automo- blles, no electric lights,--only the mietness and calm routine of the an Age. The flying-machines, the phonographs and the wireless tele- phy of our whirling days would ve seemed in 1863 only such fig. ments of a fairy-tale as a flying-horse, & magic carpet, or a. magician's feats of bringing genii out of space to do his will, Mr. Gladstone, speaking on some special royal occasion in the House of , referred to the wife of the then Heir parent in this courtly phrase: fethe Princess of Wales has tted the nation to love her." great statesman touched the right note, and it was re- throughout the British Empire, when Alexandra celebrated on March + 1028, the Diamond Jubilee of her arrival in the United Kingdom for her marriage. On March 7, 1863, the Sea King's daughter landed on British a simply-bred, unsophisticated of nineteen, whose striking beauty har ion Bark vi through never rgotten progress throug ¢ crowds of Lo struck by the spirit which illumined fi Jarect seatares. had the same im- 5 when, three days later, k 30 he DRA--QUEEN, The English Crown never graced a more beautiful head than that of Queen Alexandra, as the above picture shows. The photograph of their late Majesties King Edward the Seventh and his Queen was taken at the time of their coronation. Children weré one of the On "tag" and flower days she to some youngster, and of benefitting greatest loves of Queen Alexandra's life. never missed an opportunity of giving joy the cause, whatever it might be. ceeded she began her wonderful reign at Marlborough House, as Princess of Wales, leading society in place of the sorrowing Queen, and performing innumerable public duties with tact and charm, and always ready to re- spond to the call of the suffering and needy. She lived before the world, too, as a devoted wife and loving mother, creating a beautiful home life around Me onthe edi Bb Pane dni -------------------------------- In later hfe, Queen Alexandra preserved to an amazing extent the beauty, Svhick h. first on Brinn 3 picture was after the death of King Edward. EE a her. In the evening of her life, grandchildren and great-grandchildren brightened her widowed condition at Mariborough House and Sandring- For the compara briet interval barely ten poeta 1910 surface the womanly heart throbbed in Sympathy with life's incidents and accidents, and Queen Alexandra was not less herself when bent on some half-stealthy errand of mercy, and when, scarcely more richly dressed than the little one's nurse, she com- forted a child in a hospital bed, than when, in all the splendor of her royal position, a blaze of cataracting diamonds and pearls, she stood be- side the late King on the dais of the Throne itself. Through all her life's work ran the same golden thread of tactful, often of silent, intervention. Many and many a lame dog has gone rejoicing on his way again, all ig- norant that the hand that helped him over the stile was that of the gracious lady whom the world has known since 1910 as the Queen Mother. HAPPY CHILDHOOD Princess Alexandra Caroline Maria Charlotte Louisa Julia was the eldest daughter and second child of Prince Christian of Glucksburg and Princess Louise of Hesse. At the age of six- teen Prince Christian ' as received as the adopted son of Frederick VI. of Denmark, throne of that country as Christian IX. His home before his accession was the Gule Palace, Copenhagen, and here his eldest daughter was born on December 1, . She was named Alexandra, after the sister of Alex- ander II. of Russia. The life of the Princess and her sisters 'was very quiet and domestic, her father's in- come being so small that many econ- omies had to be practised; thus the ing in from a walk, of changing their pretty frocks for less apoilable over- alls, they were taught. to be tidy in their WA Teaina and learned how to make their own clothing, They had a resident Swiss lady as and various professors taught them different subjects. Alexandra recelv- ed her first English lesson on January 5, 1858. During thes childhood Hans nish fairy tale teller, AN IFE_AND M ALEXANDRA Bid) x One of the latest photographs of the Queen Mother, taken as she was driving through the streets of London. father, the Landgrave Frederick of Hesse, and where severdl Royal court- ships were helped forward. Many stories show how careful the young Princesses were in the matter of dress, a matter concerning which Alexandra felt a healthy interest. One Danish lady is said to have over- heard her saying, "Mamma, I have worn that pink dress so often, may I not have it dyed blue?' Another is to the effect that she asked her mother why she and her sister Dag- mar did not have muslin dresses such as a girl they knew wore, and was told that that kind of muslin cost so much to get up. The Princess wisely said no more, but later pointed out to her father the beauty of a par- ticular muslin dress which, alas! she could not obtain. The father, more sympathetic with the childish desire than with the economic barrier to its EE ------------------ and eventually came to the || children were in the habit, when com- | v FERRER RRR RRR REE HER PREFERENCES. Soon after her marriage, Queen Alexandra wrote in a scrap-book at Belvoir Castle the following list of her pre- ferences :-- Her favorite King and Queen: Queen Dagmar and Richard Coeur de Lion. Her favorite hero: Welling- ton, Her favorite poet: Byron. Her favorite artist: Sir Joshua Reynolds. Her favorite author, Charles Dickens. Her favorite virtue: Charity. Her favorite color: Blue. ad favorite dish: A French Her favorite flower: The rose Her favorite name: Mary. Her favorite occupation: Reading aloud. Her favorite amusement: "Driving my oT Her favorite motto: "Dieu et mon Droit." Her favorite locality: Home. FRU FANBURARR RARER + HARARE ARR EER RRR RRR RRA ARREARS HERRERA RE SRNR RAE B 0800000800506 next day, calling upon the Duchess of Cambridge, he saw the same face in miniature on her table, and thus be- gan his first interest in his Princess. In the aytumn of 1861 the Prince went to Germany, and there, in the cathedral gt Speyer, he saw a party approaching him, in the midst of which was the fair face he so much admired. The young people were in- troduced to each other and went round the cathedral together. That this meeting and a sul uent one at Heidelberg were not ogether acci- dental is shown by the fact that the time rumor had so spread that at plenic to Villar's Abbey a number of country girls dressed in white pre. «ented a bouquet to the young Prin- ; Prince was most lover- OTHER B ELOVED Queen Alexandra, with Queen Mary. This photograph ----. taken on the occasion of the wedding of Lord Louis Mountbatten at St. Margaret's, Westminster. the morning of March 7, the yacht lay off Gravesend the great battle- ship Warrior still guarded it. By nine o'clock the Thames in all its width was crowded with small boats and steamers, W. M. Thackeray, who saw both the entry and the wedding, wrote: -- "Since womankind existed has any Woman ever had such a greeting? + +» . Imagine beacons flaming, rock- ets blazing, yards manned, ships and forts saluting with their thunder, every steamer and vessel, every town and village from Ramsgate to Graves- end swarming with happy congratula- tion; young girls with flowers scatter. ing roses before her; staid citizens and aldermen pushing and squeezing and panting to make the speech and bow the knee, and bid her welcome!" That morning she dressed to receive her Prince in -"mauve Irish poplin, a long purple violet cloak bordered with sable, and a white bonnet trimmed with 'rosébuds. Albert Edward allow ed no ceremony to mar their meeting. At the saloon door upon the deck, to the huge delight of the multitude of watching people, he took his betroth- ed's hands, and kissed her on the lips, When she landed at Gravesend sixty Kentish girls strewed her path with flowers, and the whole railway line to the Brickiayers' Arms--that old Roya! entry into London---was gay with bunting. Crowding the stations, peep- ing over thehedges, the people watched for a glance at their new Princess, and cheered everyone and every- rr I ------ was most imposing; everything was capitally managed, and not a single hitch occurred. Queen Victoria was conspicuous in deep mourning in the Royal Closet. Nothing could be more picturesque than the scene when, amidst the sound of drums and trum. pets, the procession, with all the gorgeous hues of uniforms and beauti«| ful tollettes, moved up the nave. Each! Princess, on reaching the dais, made! a profound obelsance to the Queen. | Both Prince and Princess spoke their! Vows very distinctly. As soon as it| war over the Queen hurried back to' the Castle, and, receiving them, kissed them both, *'and then," as it was said, "followed 'them upstairs like a littiel suivante," - Queen Victoria, attended hy the! Hon, Mrs. Bruce, took no part whats! ever In the brilliant ceremonial. The bridesmaids---eight unmarried daughe« ters of Dukes, Marquises, and Earls-- were Lady Victoria Scott, Lady Diana Beauclerk, Lady Victoria Howard, | Lady Elma Bruce, Lady Emily. Vils} llers, Lady Agneta Yorke, Lady Feo. dorowna Wellesley, and Lady Eleanor Hare, After the ceremony the great coms | pany went to breakfast at the Castle,! but, curiously, though the elite of Society and many members of the Diplomatic Corps were present, fone of the Royalties appeared at the. feast, a matter which caused great wonder among the foreigners, who could not understand the extreme de- sire of the Queen for seclusion and privacy. WON PEOPLE'S HEARTS. From the day of her. marri word other than good was saa ot Alexandra, Of her, many stor- les are told, and all alike tend to show the kindness of her heart, the strength of her goodness, and her appreciation of humor. Even the sad Queen melted under her influence. It is well knowa that Queen Victoria clung to all out- ward show of "er woe, and Princess Alexandra tried often to get her to dispense with the heavy, warm dra- . Once she persuaded Her Ma~ Jesty to let her alter a bonnet, re- moving a quantity of crepe apd doing the . necessary re-trimming. The Queen took it back with a sigh, kiss. ed her daughter-in-law and--to the surprise of those who knew---wore the bonnet. : Early in January, 1864, the Prin. cess, who was then living at Clare- mont, joined a skating party on Vir- ginla Water, and that evening, to the consternation of all, a little Prince was born: As he had not been ex. pected so soon there were present neither doctors, nurses, hor bables' clothes, but lady Macclesfield and Dr. Brown, of Windsor, who had been sent for hurriedly, were invaluable. For want of clothes the Prince's first suit was a layer of cotton wool kept in place by a flannel petticoat. The Danish-German war was a very painful event fer the Princess. Dur. | i that at that at Windsor asked the Beatrice what she After whise would like as a present. xandra she with Princess Ale | pering : replied, "Please, 1 would like 10 have * Bismarck's head on a charger," ~~