V OCSB LIBRARY POTSDAM PRINCES A PRESENT-DAY FAMILY GROUP Reading from left to right the figures are : Back Row : Prince Joachim of frnssia, the Duchess of Brnns-wick (Princes the Duke of Rrnnsivick Second Row .-Prince Oscar of Prussia. Princess August- tnihelm of Prussia, the Crc-.cn Pnnce. Prince Eitel-Hriedrich Front Ron' : Princess Eitel-Friedrich, the Crown Princess. Prince Adalbert, and Prince Auftlit Wilhclm of Prussia POTSDAM PRINCES BY ETHEL HOWARD WITH TWELVE PLATES NEW YORK E. P. BUTTON AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS PREFACE MANY people assure me that what I can tell of the Kaiser's sons as boys, and of their personalities as then expressed, will be of general interest. Guided by my diary, I have set down my experiences as their English governess. In the fierce light of the greatest conflagration of history it is impossible for me to think of them now as I did then, but I have tried to write a true and unbiased account of my pupils as I found them. L ETHEL HOWARD December 1915 CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. MY APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES . . i II. MY PUPILS THE PRINCES . . .27 III. THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM . . -59 IV. THE LIGHTER SIDE . . . -83 V. MY RELATIONS WITH THE KAISER . .112 VI. THE KAISERIN . . . . .138 VII. INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE . . . 159 VIII. POMP AND PAGEANT . . . .189 IX. IMPERIAL TRAVELS . . . .218 X. THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS . . 234 XI. CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM . . . 253 XII. THE COURT HOSPITAL .... 276 INDEX . . . . . .291 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS A PRESENT-DAY FAMILY GROUP. . Frontispiece Photo, Exclusive News Agency FACING PACK THE CROWN PRINCE, HIS BROTHERS AND SISTER. i PRINCE ADALBERT, AGED 13 . . . -32 PRINCESS VICTORIA LUISE AT THE AGE OF 4 -42 PRINCE JOACHIM AT THE AGE OF 6 . . -42 "A SNOC LITTLE KOONER" . . . .64 A drawing by the Crown Prince PRINCE OSCAR AT THE AGE OF 12 . . .96 THE LITTLE PRINCESS AND HER BROTHER, PRINCE JOACHIM ...... 102 THE KAISER AND FIVE OF HIS SONS GOING TO CHURCH . . . . . .190 THE CASCADE, WILHELMSHOHE, NEAR CASSEL . 226 THE KAISER ON BOARD THE " HOHENZOLLERN " ON THE JOURNEY TO PALESTINE . . . 230 TEGERNSEE, BAVARIA ..... 234 A ROYAL PICNIC PARTY IN BAVARIA . . 248 THE CROWN PRINCE, HIS BROTHERS AND SISTER POTSDAM PRINCES CHAPTER I MY APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES MY appointment as English gover- ness to the German Emperor's sons was one of those sudden and unexpected events which turn the whole course of one's life. The youngest but one of a large family, and unlike my sisters showing no par- ticular talent for music or painting, my father determined to educate me more like a boy than a girl. Thus I was kept with my nose to the grindstone at both classics and mathematics, it being intended that I should distinguish myself in these subjects at a University. However, it was not to be. Mv father 2 POTSDAM PRINCES took me in hand himself, and put me through a pretty severe course of study. Being at an age when fun and frivolity appealed to me more than Virgil and Euclid, I rebelled against what I described to him as unnecessary erudition for a girl, and to my delight he replied that if I could get any boy to teach, I should retain the knowledge I had acquired, and I need study no further. Thus began my teaching career, and no sooner did my first pupil win a scholarship than I realized that apart from love of the work, I seemed to be fairly successful in it. The King of Siam's nephew (Prince Sithiphorn) was one of my next pupils, but never did I dream in those days of the ex- alted privilege looming ahead of me, that of being chosen as English governess to the sons of Wilhelm II, the present Kaiser ! " But how on earth did you manage to get this appointment ? " my friends would ask me, and in fact it was often a puzzle to myself. APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 3 Indeed, so little notion had I of the work in store for me, that when in the autumn of 1895 I suddenly received a regal-looking crested envelope, the contents of which informed me that I had been appointed governess to the sons of the German Emperor, I thought it was a practical joke perpetrated by a relative particularly ad- dicted to such forms of witticism. I of course took no notice, but some little time afterwards I received a letter from an old family friend, Miss Walker, Principal of the Royal School at Bath, who had in previous years herself been governess to the German Empress when a girl. This was to ask me why I had not immediately replied to the letter from the German Court, as the Mistress of the Robes had written to her stating she had received no reply from me. I at once wrote apolo- gizing, but declining the honour on the ground that my French was imperfect and I had no music two things mentioned in the letter as being essential. In spite of my lack of these acquirements, however, 4 POTSDAM PRINCES the Empress still wished me appointed, and in some fear and trepidation I accepted. I was quite young at the time, and the thought of the coming parting was a night- mare to me. We were more closely knit than is common amongst most families, so much so that my father always com- pared us to a bundle of sticks. I had never gone abroad before, and the thought of leaving the simple and happy shelter of home for the cold and rigid ceremonial and unknown difficulties of a foreign Court appalled me. I knew little or no German, and as the hour of my departure approached I felt more and more nervous. When, in December 1895, the dread moment arrived, my courage failed me, and I actually jumped out of the railway carriage, exclaiming, "No, I can't go so far from home, not for any Emperor ! " My mother, whom I worshipped, gently pushed me in again ; and so, amid blinding tears, I set forth to my new life. My journey to Berlin was not without incident, as one of my travelling-corn- APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 5 panions more or less tried to commit suicide. I was too absorbed in my own thoughts to take much notice of the ever- changing country as it unfolded itself before my eyes. Nor did I notice my fellow- travellers, until shortly after we left Flush- ing I found I was alone in the compartment with a woman who seemed even more nervous and unhappy than I was myself. She told me a telegram had summoned her to Berlin, as her mother was dying. As the night wore on, she became more and more distraught, and it was a horrible moment when she suddenly flung open the carriage door, crying, " Hold me, hold me, or I shall jump out ! " I duly held her, and managed to soothe her, but was grateful for the morning light and Berlin at last. Miss , whose place I was to take, met me at the station. She was resigning through ill-health, but had awaited my arrival in order to initiate me into the per- formance of my duties. It was not until a day or two later, when I had a fair idea of them, that I was presented to the Kaiserin, 6 POTSDAM PRINCES and some few days elapsed before I was allowed to definitely take charge of the Princes. The gorgeous silver-braided livery of the coachman and the beautiful pair of horses in the brougham first caught my eye, and I enjoyed the quick drive through the streets to the Konigliches Schloss, the German equivalent of our Buckingham Palace. I was shown at once to my bedroom, which though not large was a most palatial apart- ment, everything in it being very beautiful, the Berlin china-ware bearing the Royal Crown, and all the linen being embroidered in the same manner. This room was set somewhat apart from the others in the main Palace, being in fact in the visitors' wing. I was not very much impressed by the fact at the time, though I did rather wonder why (since I was obviously not a visitor) I had been put in this wing. Later I was told that it was done purposely, for the reason that the sudden introduction into the fullness of Court grandeur had frequently unbalanced APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 7 people's minds in fact, they had become temporarily insane through it. I was inwardly rather amused at this, but I received striking and unexpected proof of it a few days after my arrival, in the person of my housemaid, herself a new-comer. One morning she suddenly began to kiss my feet very vigorously, tickling them horribly as she did so ; I thought her manner rather strange, but put her action down to some curious German custom of which I was ignorant. A day or two later, however, a new housemaid appeared in her place, and I was informed that the foot-worshipper had been discharged as temporarily insane. Soon after my arrival began my initia- tion, first as to the general manner of Court life, and then as to my own particular duties. Each lady of the Court and I was now one of their number had certain personal servants allotted. In those days she had one housemaid, one " Diener " or man- servant, and a lackey behind her chair at 8 POTSDAM PRINCES meals, who also acted as footman when driving. Ladies-in-waiting also had their own maids, paid for by themselves. I was allotted my servant, though my housemaid had to be changed, as I have already related ; I was also given a pass to admit me through any of the Palace gates. The head of the Kaiserin's household and Mistress of the Robes, the Countess Therese von Brockdorff, sent me very kind messages, and came to see me the morning after my arrival, the other ladies of the Court follow- ing soon after. They explained to me that in the Berlin Palace life was very strenuous, for the Kaiser and Kaiserin as well as their entourage. Their Majesties always break- fasted alone with each other, and the members of the Household took this meal each in his or her bedroom or personal sitting-room. Other meals were according to invitation, but it generally meant a formal midday luncheon daily with Their Majesties and other guests, at any rate at the Potsdam Palace, the invitation card bearing the names of the APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 9 most distinguished persons to whom Royal hospitality was thus dispensed. I was somewhat perturbed, as I had never anticipated lunching daily like this with Royalty, and my limited wardrobe was the source of some anxiety to me. I found it also opened up temptations. Certain shops were in the habit of offering one clothes, gratis, in return for recommenda- tion, which enticements one had to ignore. Editors of Society papers, too, tempted one to give anecdotes and details of Court life, which offers had to be treated in a like manner. In this connexion I thought of my parents' sound advice never to write them any details of Court life, as my letters home were liable to be opened and cen- sored. This rule I never broke, and conse- quently my friends will hear of my detailed experiences at the Kaiser's Court for the first time when they read this account, taken entirely from diary notes, supple- mented by memory. It was good news to me, on the day of my arrival, to hear that afternoon tea was io POTSDAM PRINCES always served, and joyfully I greeted the fact that my evening meal would be a less formal affair, being taken alone with the Princes at seven o'clock. For their supper they had thick bread and spare butter, or " bread- and-scrape," as the schoolboys call it. They were in the habit of consuming enormous mouthfuls of it, talking and laughing at the same time, but as it was obvious that this was not a formal meal I resolved not to attempt to inculcate any special table manners, but to let them enjoy the freedom from the restraint which was necessary on other occasions. Here I might mention that the change to German food was rather distasteful to me. I much preferred our own English bread to the black kind ; to eat fruit with meat seemed out of place; and as to eating "Ganz- fleisch," or raw goose, nothing would ever induce me to even taste it. The Crown Prince, for some reason or other, was most anxious that I should do so, and graciously offered me a reward, which, however, did not tempt me. It seemed to offend the Princes APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES n that I did not care for their German food ; it was only when I had meals alone in my room that I could choose the most English dishes possible. Each individual had to sign for his meals in his rooms just as in a hotel ; this arrangement, which in a commercial undertaking enables one's bill to be made out, was here of course only introduced as a check on the servants. I had been at the Court for two days when I was taken to the Kaiserin's boudoir and presented. I went in not without qualms, but I must say she was most kind. She inquired after my friend whose influence had got me the post, her own former governess, hoped I would be happy, and that I should get on well with the children, told me I should find them very lively, but amenable and always willing to please, which proved to be true. She certainly spoke English very well, I later found that she wrote it still better,* and I remember thinking that if I could teach my charges to speak as well as my friend had taught their mother, I should not do badly. 12 POTSDAM PRINCES It appeared that although I had given my age in my letter, she had not expected me to look so young, and I was therefore requested to dress in as old a manner as possible. I was not allowed a coat and skirt, or a sailor hat, then the prevailing fashion, but was ordered to wear a bonnet, and not to think of moving without white kid gloves and a fan, especially for the midday meal. Fortunately, I had been prepared for the gloves, but it was tire- some about the bonnets, and the silk dresses which one was supposed to wear whenever a Royalty or any other important guest was present. Not being well off, I had only a limited number of frocks, and sadly anticipated spending more than I could really afford. The Mistress of the Bedchamber, on whom devolved the duty of putting me right in the choice of costume, was a delightful little lady, with whom I was soon on very intimate terms. Her name was Fraulein von Hake, and although of noble birth her official position prevented APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 13 her from being present at any of the Royal meals. When I gained courage to remind the latter that the Kaiserin was aware of my age when she engaged me, she said I was chosen for my youth, as they liked the governess to play games with the Princes and join in the fun generally, and not to mind any little harmless boyish pranks. I learnt that each Prince had a military governor, and all the governors, tutors, and teachers generally including myself were under General von Deines, the head governor, who had the special care of the Crown Prince. Later on, when I could speak German, I brought various diffi- culties to this stern-looking man, who was yet tender withal, and I came to understand how wisely and justly he ruled. His word was law, and at first I stood very much in awe of him. I found I was to have charge of all the Princes, but that I should have the Crown Prince for a few weeks only, as he was destined for the school at Ploen, where his brother Eitel Fritz was to go also. i 4 POTSDAM PRINCES My work as English governess was mapped out for me, and I was given a time-table, which, however, was liable to alteration at a moment's notice, especially in the Potsdam Palace. It is difficult for me to do more than sketch my days or give a definite outline of the routine of each Prince, we were all so much at the mercy of sudden changes of plans, arising from various causes. Two words in German that I early learnt the meaning of were these : " im Dienst," literally translated by "in service." I suppose in England we should say " on duty," but I always think of it by the former phrase, which I used throughout my diary as being more expressive of the very real servitude in which my life was spent at this time. Apparently I was to be always more or less " im Dienst." When my duties with the Princes did not claim me, I was to act as a sort of extra lady-in-waiting, attend- ing on odd Royalties who happened to be visiting, or even on the Empress herself APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 15 if for some reason or other one of her ladies failed her. I did not realize what an arduous time I was in for, and to do her justice, I do not think the Kaiserin did either. I was destined to be a sort of " jack-of-all- trades," teaching the Princes, attending visiting Royalties, sight-seeing with their ladies, reading English to and writing English letters for anyone who asked me and whom I did not like to refuse. To return to my time-table as governess, presented to me on arrival : I was certainly subjected to the same Spartan methods as those which directed the Princes' educa- tion. I was given the early morning work, which necessitated my finishing breakfast and being ready to go out walk- ing at 8 a.m. It was winter when I got there, and anyone who knows the intense cold of Berlin will appreciate how severe I found this morning exercise. It lasted from 8 a.m. until just before 12.30, when one had ten minutes or so to change for luncheon. 16 POTSDAM PRINCES I noticed that the military governors managed to get a comfortable breakfast in a nice warm room, not braving the elements too early in the morning them- selves. The whole morning I used to spend walking with each Prince in turn, half running, as it was too cold to sit down or walk slowly ; the reason for their walk and talk alone with me being that their English conversation should have my individual attention, and that they should thus perfect their knowledge of the lan- guage without too much realizing that they were doing so. Also they each had absolutely separate governors and separate time-tables, driving daily to their tutors at the Bellevue Palace, which was used as their schoolroom while in Berlin. Some- times I would go there with them, and the rapid drive through the streets was always enjoyable. This was made pos- sible by the custom of clearing them be- forehand for Royalty to pass : I believe a fine was inflicted on any vehicle getting APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 17 in the way. It had the disadvantage of letting people know we were coming, and I used to quite pity the Princes for the constant saluting they had to acknowledge, especially when driving down Unter-den- Linden. In Potsdam the Princes used to be present at the terrible and formal midday meal, usually at 12.30 or i o'clock, but subject, like everything else, to the vagaries of circumstances. I, for one, never en joyed it, nor, I think, did they. To this meal numerous guests were invited daily, and I often met and conversed with gorgeously arrayed officers and diplomats whose names are now household words in every land. I was young at the time, and I suppose being so much in contact with the Imperial Family led me to consider other guests as small and unimportant. I well remember the joy with which I would greet the fact that no one above a Serene Highness was invited, as it meant no need to wear a silk frock, and I fear this was my general point of view. i8 POTSDAM PRINCES Prince von Billow I remember, but when I first got there I think Prince von Hohen- lohe was still the Imperial Chancellor, having succeeded General von Caprivi, who followed the great Bismarck. This Prince Hohenlohe was called Uncle Clovis by the family in moments of relaxation. The ladies prepared me well beforehand, informing me that he was a very great celebrity, and congratulating me on being fortunate enough to meet him. Somehow or other, my idea of great German men was inex- plicably mingled with the idea of great bulk and girth. I was surprised, there- fore, to find that Prince von Hohenlohe was a thin, wizened old man, so small and light that he looked as if he would blow away ! His plain black clothes, too, were a contrast to the brilliant uniforms I had grown to expect. Everyone treated him with in- tense respect, including the Kaiser, over whom he seemed to have great influence. I think the Prince must have been father or uncle to the Prince von Hohenlohe who, so the papers say, got the secret treaty between APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 19 Germany and Bulgaria signed at Sofia in July 1915. General Count von Walder- see, in my time the Chief of the German General Staff, and afterwards Field Marshal, I knew very well. He it was who in later years led the International troops to Peking, after which expedition he visited Japan, where he made me an especial visit. I was educating young Japanese Princes then, and the Field Marshal insisted on having a photo taken with one of the boys on his shoulder, as he affirmed that the Kaiser would be most interested and gratified to receive such a picture of the East and West united. But I am digressing. I must return to the formal midday meal where I met these great men. There was nearly an hour of eating, drinking, and talking, and then we would all adjourn together, ladies first, into the room where we took coffee. Here we were often compelled to drag out another hour a weary one to me, I must confess, as it did not seem to be correct to sit down, 20 POTSDAM PRINCES and after a whole morning on one's feet, and a heavy midday meal, one simply longed for a chair. The Princes would stay talking until such time as they were carried off by their respective governors for study, and I did not see them again as a rule until after tea. If I had not to dance attendance on any Royalty, and otherwise had none of my multifarious duties to perform, I used to read or write in my room, have tea, and perhaps go for a walk. Then I took the Princes again for recreation, often playing games with them in the Palace garden. Supper alone with them at seven o'clock, after which I would read English story- books to them until eight o'clock, when they went to bed. The second youngest, Oscar, went first; Prince Joachim being still in the nursery did not appear at supper at all, nor did I see much of him when I was there. The other Princes went to bed in order of age, each one a quarter of an hour later than his junior. About 8.45 I was more or less free, and by that APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 21 time so tired, I often went to bed very early. In the Neues Palais, or New Palace, near Potsdam, the real home, where they spent more time than anywhere, life was neces- sarily different. It was something like the Windsor home of our own King and Queen, in that life there was understood to be a family one. Even so, one had to be sent an invitation card for each meal taken with the Kaiser and Kaiserin and their suite, and there was not much less of the cumber- some ceremonial which we all found so irk- some. Looking through my papers of that far-off time, I find a letter home (whether I ever sent it or not I do not remember), which perhaps best describes the manner of my days. It is dated a year or more after my arrival, and runs thus : 11 POTSDAM, NEUES PALAIS " Their Majesties are away. I will sketch my days this week (except Wednesday and Saturday). Up at 6.30. Breakfast 7.30. Drive 7.45 to Lindstedt. They have a little castle there, which has just been fitted up 22 POTSDAM PRINCES as a school for three of the four boys at home the Crown Prince and Prince Fritz are studying now as cadets up at Kiel. Lind- stedt is about a quarter of an hour's walk from the Neues Palais. I am there 8 to 10 a.m. two days a week, and 8 to n other days, walking alone with each Prince during that time. I have a German teacher on my return, as the Empress dis- approves of my speaking ungrammatical German. " In the afternoons I drive either with the Kaiserin (if she's here) and the Princes, or alone with one of the Princes. We go some distance, and then get out of the carriage and walk. Supper at 7 p.m. up- stairs with the three Princes, and stay with them till 8.30. Besides this, I have endless English letters and unexpected odd jobs." In those days I had many difficulties which later became even more acute with the old English head nurse, who had brought up all the children from babyhood. If I drove with the Princes, she resented it in fact, whatever I did, she resented. APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 23 It was astonishing what power one in her position possessed, chiefly on account of her having the Kaiserin's maternal ear. She feared no one, and ruled the lackeys with a rod of iron, trying hard to annex me as nursery governess under her thumb. When I arrived, she tried to arrange that I should be given only a servant's Palace-entrance card, and the use of no carriage in fact, the same status as nurse that she herself possessed. That she did not succeed was due to the governors, who naturally wished to give me my rightful position as a lady of the Court, provided on all public occasions I was kept in the background and not seen with the Princes. The governors were quite kind to me, but I could see that they would have liked to protect their Princes against the influence of any woman especially a foreigner and an Englishwoman preferring an essenti- ally masculine and military education. The ladies, by their frequent intercourse with me, showed that they far from disliked me. They seemed quite content that I 24 POTSDAM PRINCES should rank as one of themselves, but they politely but clearly let me understand that I was in no way to encroach on their privilege of waiting on the Kaiserin. When she commanded my personal attendance they were often astonished and, not un- naturally, rather hurt. I did not seek this " privilege," but here again I had to bury my inclinations, notwithstanding their feelings : I could but obey the Imperial commands. Their relations with the Princes, too, were changed after my arrival. They naturally wanted to see something of the children, and play with them occasionally, but according to my orders I was obliged to close the schoolroom against them sometimes. To sum up the whole, it became one long struggle. Whatever course my duty compelled me to adopt, antagonism against someone was the inevitable result. The nursery regime was unwilling to brook anything which removed the children from nursery ways or which lessened nursery coddling and pampering. Everything out- APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES 25 side this pale was labelled severe, and naturally found a sympathetic listener in the Kaiserin a mother above all. Nevertheless, the continual friction with the nurse, and her influence with the Kaiserin against me, caused me to be treated in a very uncertain way. Some- times I was all in favour sometimes I found myself all out of favour and given next to no work. It all depended on the " moods " of the Kaiserin, the governors and the ladies, and also whether the nurse's powers were in full. When in the quiet of my room I thought over these various difficulties, it seemed to me that courtiers, whatever their rank, were but servants, and that wheels within wheels and petty endeavours to gain Royal favour were worth but little. I made the excellent resolution, therefore, to do what I believed to be best for the Princes, regard- less of whom I might annoy, and this I think I honestly carried out during the three years of my service. In course of time I managed to annoy a good many 26 POTSDAM PRINCES people, but I was annoyed enough by them, in all conscience, so we were quits. On the whole, though, it was a fairly happy time, and at any rate a great experience which I would not have been without. CHAPTER II MY PUPILS THE PRINCES I HAD, of course, before I arrived, care- fully noted down the various names and ages of the Kaiser's seven children ; in fact, I had carefully learnt these up, making out a sheet of paper with their names, dates of birth, and actual age at the moment, all neatly tabulated, which I used to study at odd moments. I felt if I did not do this, I should get hopelessly mixed as to which was which. As it was, after seeing the Princes, although I knew their names, I could not at first, when away from them, put the right face to each name, or the right name to each face. To give their respective ages in December of that year, 1895 : the Crown Prince was getting on for fourteen, his brother Eitel Friedrich twelve and a half, Prince Adal- i 28 POTSDAM PRINCES bert a year and seven days younger, Prince August -Wilhelm nearly nine, Prince Oscar seven and a half, and little Prince Joachim only just five years old. The Kaiser's only daughter, Princess Victoria Luise, or " Sissy," as she was fondly called, was a baby of three years old. My first introduction to the Princes took place on the same evening as my presenta- tion to the Kaiserin. Prince Joachim being still in the nursery, was not there, but I found the five eldest boys quite enough at a time. I was much struck by their appearance; they all had fair hair, and such bright eyes and rosy cheeks. I must say they were very manly-looking boys, full of health and spirits. They were all dressed alike in sailor suits, dark blue, with bare necks, but of course they were made in the slightly different German style, and not exactly like the sailor suits that English boys wear. I soon had cause to be glad that the Crown Prince was very shortly going to school at Ploen, and that I should only MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 29 have him during the holidays ; almost my first idea of him being that he was ter- ribly overbearing and tyrannical with his brothers, though with me I must admit he always behaved well. My first impressions of the Princes' characters, taken from my diary of those early days, may be of interest. The first extract runs as follows : " The Crown Prince Wilhelm is my favourite in my heart. He is small built, but good looking, such a lovely complexion, and such delicious laughing eyes, and he can give such a wink. He is terribly ex- citable and sensitive, and although he does not give one the idea of thinking much of himself, yet with his brothers he is quite conscious of his rights. He is too fond of his own possessions. He clings to the right of his Salon, and does not like his brothers to touch his things. But in that they are all alike, and yet they are fond of each other. He has, and indeed so have all the Princes, the very highest sense of honour and obedience I have ever come across. Prince Wilhelm is very clever, 30 POTSDAM PRINCES and has great tact I have noticed that when discussing relations between England and Germany. He is very affectionate, and is essentially a gentleman at heart." So runs my diary. But if I shut my eyes and recall quite honestly scenes in that schoolroom, I see him now, possibly a little in the light of recent events, as the disturber of the peace. If he came in when his younger brothers were with me, and I was reading aloud and they were per- haps drawing, he seemed to love to disturb us ; irritating his brothers by spoiling what they were doing. He was very overbearing with them, and yet they seemed to love him, or it may be that they feared him ! Once when we were alone and he was in a fairly calm mood, I told him how difficult he made my work. He seemed sorry, and I asked him to try and not to tease his brothers so much. He then promised me, if I would quietly say "T" (for teasing), he would try and re- member. On future occasions I did so, and it seemed to answer ; and I got almost MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 31 into the way of calling him " T." He once signed a letter to me by that initial. In those days he seemed to be possessed of a kind heart, and this habit of teasing was a form of nerves ; for his was a restless, excitable nature, like his father's, as has often been shown since. But, even though I liked him, he always made me feel what a dangerous and uncertain ruler he would make, and what an uncompromising despot, if this tyrannical and teasing spirit came uppermost. He also seemed to hate any- one to use or borrow anything belonging to him, and this trait came out more strongly as he grew older. Should his brothers take anything of his, he regarded that particular article as not good enough for him to use in future, and he would try and get it replaced. Diary Extract. " Prince Eitel Friedrich, or Fritz as he is called, is a big fat boy, and I love him, I think, as much as Wilhelm. He is such a gentle, long-suffering, sweet lad, but quite cracked on soldiering. He knows all that is possible about the German, 32 POTSDAM PRINCES French, and other armies. To see his face when explaining about the various colours, regiments, and so forth, is wonderful. He speaks so terribly fast and excitedly he cannot get his words out." He was a nice boy, and far gentler than his eldest brother. But one thing I felt about him more than any of them : he was so absolutely Prussian, and always for Prussia in every way. His anti-foreign feeling even as a boy was amazing. His English never seemed to improve ; his W's ever remained V's, and he seemed to rather intend that they should do so. I was less in touch with him than any of the others. He gave little trouble, and was easy and peaceful company so long as I would talk soldiers. Diary Extract. "Prince Adalbert, in appearance his father's double, is all heart and naughtiness. Very rough and affection- ate, but more like any other schoolboy. Up to lots of mischief, with no feeling for others. Greedy and a bit troublesome." PRINCE ADALBERT, AGED 13 MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 33 I always liked him, though he gave me a pretty bad time. But that he had a loving, most forgiving nature, there was no doubt. He was also a very excitable and nervous character, quite beside him- self at times. Still, though he was often rather trying, the time of repentance always came. He had the least poetical and artistic side to his character of any of them. He could appreciate an impolite story if he happened to hear one, and would meet it with a loud laugh. Yet there was something of sterling good in him. He was essentially the Sailor Prince. I should think he would never lack courage. I used often to wonder what his future would be, and remember saying to one of the Court ladies that I prophesied he would be " all goodness " or " all badness," not half and half ; and that he might possibly in a moment of great crisis live or die the hero of that moment. Diary Extract. "August Wilhelm, or ' Au- Wi ' as he is called for short, is a silly little 3 34 POTSDAM PRINCES person. A dear little thing, but I should describe him as having very little in him. I never saw a boy laugh more. He rolls on the ground at the least thing." I afterwards found I was mistaken in my first impressions of Prince Au-Wi. There was much in him, and he will ever remain in my mind as the teller of fairy tales and legends, and the reciter of poems. Many a time did that young Prince lift my mind from its petty cares and thoughts to spiritual and natural beauties. He was talented beyond the ordinary, and if he does not eventually produce some great literary or artistic work I shall be much surprised. He was a deeply religious-minded boy ; indeed, they all were, for their mother the Empress read the Bible to them every day without fail, and it would have to be something very serious which would pre- vent her missing this daily spiritual talk with her children. But Prince Au-Wi, having a more ro- mantic and artistic side to his nature, was able to express himself on these MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 35 subjects better than his brothers. He was very fond of illustrating his ideas on paper as he unburdened his soul, and I remember two remarkable drawings he once gave me, which I kept for the sake of the wonderful thoughts expressed there- by. He was only nine years old at the time, and as may be imagined the drawings themselves were not remarkable, but the thoughts they represented really were so. He drew first a Cross, and under the Cross two angels, only one of whom wore a crown. After the idea of Dante's different grades of hell, Prince Au-Wi had a firm belief in different grades of angels. There were two paths leading to the Cross, showing the broad and narrow ways. A child carrying a jar was mounting each path, and he told me, as he drew, that the jars were supposed to be filled with sorrow. The child on the broad path was over- whelmed with the weight of the jar, the other on the steep and narrow way had the water pouring out of it. " She is nearer where the Angel of 36 POTSDAM PRINCES Love is, she is nearer the Cross," explained Prince Au-Wi. That day they had all been to the funeral of an old white-haired pastor to whom they were very devoted, and I think perhaps the impressive ceremony had in- spired the young Prince's ideas that night. In describing the funeral these were his words : " There was a pure white coffin, but no flowers, as he would not have anything sad, because he was so glad to get to heaven, and the money which would have been spent on flowers he wanted given to the poor. Mamma says his wife will soon die, she thinks, because she loves him so." Then he described the widow as " smoke that puffs itself away," and " a veil rent in pieces." The same evening the little Princess, then a child of about four years old, when speaking to the nurse had said, " Nana, Nana, we must have champagne; " and on being asked why, she replied, " Because the poor pastor has no more pain." Then MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 37 she added, " The angels will be so pleased to have him in heaven with his long hair." The other drawing I kept was that of a Temple a Temple of Trouble towards which were going a mother who had lost her son, and a little girl who had lost her mother. He represented their tears by a few pencil splashes on the ground. Then he looked up. " But if there is a Temple of Sorrow there must also be a Temple of Love ; the two are inseparable," said he. Now for my diary extract about Prince Oscar : " He is my special chum. He is sweet, the best looking of them all, except for the Crown Prince. I should say that out-and- out he has the most character. He enjoys a joke, but he is thoughtful. Very proud (so are they all), very sensitive, and a very deep nature. One who would take a long time to like you, and if he once did so he would not forget you." I really looked on him then as a young hero, noble to the core. A silent, deep- 38 POTSDAM PRINCES thinking, and suffering boy. What a just ruler he might have made if " the boy were father to the man." One afternoon I drove with him to Paritz, Prince Henry's place. In the grounds we came to a dark passage. He did not know where it led to ; going first, I came to a sort of vault or grave, with a stone on which was engraved " Remember the Departed." He had been full of fun and very jolly, but when he came across this stone I cannot describe the look on his face. Like lightning, he pulled off his cap, saying, " We must not play near here ; come farther away." In the early days of my coming to the Court Prince Oscar happened to be delicate and had to lie down a good deal, and so I saw much of him and got into his very thoughts. Once he said to me : " If ever I have sons they shall go into the Navy." " Why ? " I said. " Do you like the idea of life in the Navy better than in the Army ? " MY PUPILSTHE PRINCES 39 " No," he replied, " not that exactly." He seemed reluctant to give his reasons for preferring the Navy as the calling of his future sons, and I did not press him. He was silent for a minute, then he said : " If I were a father, I should love my sons too much to bear to part with them, and in the Navy I should not be so likely to lose them as in the Army. What a good father papa is, isn't he ? He is always so kind and plays with us. But you know," he added thoughtfully, " papa is very anxious, though no one has told me so. I am glad I haven't got to be an Emperor ; I don't want to be an Emperor : all I want is to be just a gentleman." I recall these words with interest, for this was the Prince who afterwards made the morganatic marriage with Countess Ina von Bassewitz, a relative of the Countess of that name who was in my time the youngest and most beautiful lady-in-wait- ing, and with whom I was great friends. That he had the courage thus to make love victorious over the trials of a morgan- 40 POTSDAM PRINCES atic marriage I can well believe. His was to my mind quite the deepest character and the most affectionate nature of all the Kaiser's sons. To return to my diary extracts : " Prince Joachim and the Princess are in the nursery funny little things, rather wild and unmanageable, slapping one's hand when they say ' How do you do.' The Princess is not pretty, though I have seen her look so once or twice." Although it was intended that I should take charge of Prince Joachim, I never really did so, owing to the difficulties with the English nurse which I have mentioned before. He was the one Prince solely in her care, and she would not yield him without a keen struggle. Consequently I never really had a great deal to do with him, and what I saw of him I cannot say I liked. He and his little sister were much with each other, and when alone together he would tease her rather unmercifully. Perhaps this long- MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 41 continued nursery influence and com- panionship with a younger sister did much to make him the weak, frightened little cry-baby that I then thought him. If left alone for a minute, he would scream, and go on screaming till someone came. When I would find him like this and tell him there was nothing to be afraid of, the old English nurse would arrive on the scene and re- sent my presence, generally managing to insinuate that it was I who had upset the child. It used to hurt me very much that my only compatriot living within the Palace precincts should prove such an enemy. Later, when Prince Joachim attained the proud age of having a tutor ap- pointed all to himself, it was my duty to sit with him while he had his lessons. Often, as the hour approached, he would begin to whimper and take refuge under the sofa, from which the tutor or myself had the pleasure of hauling him out. He also seemed possessed of an extra- ordinary trait most unlike a boy of not being able to bear to have soiled or dirty 42 POTSDAM PRINCES hands. I remember once the Princes were playing in the garden, digging for some- thing, when little Prince Joachim began to scream because he had some mud on his hands. His brothers took care to rub them well with earth, in which drastic form of correction I assisted : his attitude seemed so unnatural in a child, and I wanted to teach him a more normal, boyish view of dirt ! I believe he grew less babyish as he got older, but from the age of five to eight years, while I was there, he certainly gave little promise of developing much character. His family nickname at that time was " Pykie," and the Princess generally called him by it. One day he was ill, and was ordered by the doctor to take a powder. There was great consternation in the nursery, he and his little sister being of opinion that he couldn't possibly be intended to swallow powder, since, as Prince Joachim put it, " That is what you fill a gun with ! " The poor little Princess was quite unhappy, and pleadingly said MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 43 to the doctor, " You won't shoot my Pykie, will you? " As for the little Princess, she was a charming child, and some of her remarks caused me much amusement. I was very seldom with jjer, but on one occasion I had to take charge of her while driving round the fortress of Metz, in Alsace-Lorraine. It is well known that the Kaiser is not very much loved there, but notwithstanding this the inhabitants had to make some show of loyalty, and his little daughter being a young and innocent child, they lavished most of their welcome on her : she was the object of far greater acclama- tions than the Kaiser himself. A tremen- dous number of bouquets were flung into her carriage, it was impossible to hol'd them all. The poor child had to keep con- tinually smiling and bowing her acknow- ledgments, till she. looked so tired I wished I could do it for her. " Must I go on?" she asked wearily. " Haven't I finished yet ?" There was still some way to go, and more 44 POTSDAM PRINCES cheering crowds to drive through, but the child bravely fought her weariness till we got back to the Palace gates. I do not remember any other occasion upon which I took charge of her ; it was of course the boys, and particularly Princes Adalbert, August Wilhelm, and Oscar, out of the nursery, but not yet at school, who were especially in my care. When the two eldest were at home, though, I found that my work included the composition of their English letters to their grandmother the Empress Frederick, and to their great- grandmother Queen Victoria. Prince Adal- bert also had to do his share, and well do I remember one Sunday afternoon when he had to write in English to the Empress Frederick. He was terribly upset at having to work so hard on a Sunday, and we had rather a tussle over it, but in the end managed to produce a nice long letter, prettily expressed and full of love and thanks, which, however, I fear, he was far from feeling at the moment. Some of the penalties of being a Prince, MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 45 it seemed to me, were the unsuitable gifts that sometimes arrived. As an example, I remember a huge volume of Ball's " As- tronomy " which was given to the Crown Prince. It was truly hard to sit down and write a long, grateful letter in a foreign tongue. I inwardly sympathized with the Prince when in despair he said to me, " Let's burn the beastly thing and forget all about it." The Crown Prince's effort of thanks for Queen Victoria's Christmas present to him at the age of about fifteen I also remember very well. He declared that he would not pre- tend to be grateful for stiff books which he could not get through, but as in this particular instance it was a book on the Crimean War, which he had studied at school during the previous term, we were able to evolve a very nice letter of thanks. The same evening I had to help Prince Fritz with his ; but it was easier with him, as he was quite amenable and ready to write anything one told him. They were quick-tempered boys, often 46 POTSDAM PRINCES fighting with each other, both in temper and in fun. They attempted many practical jokes on their governors and on me ; but when they became too excited I soon stopped it, as I made up my mind from the first that it would be most derogatory to my dignity and self- respect to stand being pulled about by them, even in fun. But I found nothing really vicious in them, and their faults were those of boys the world over. They had, except the Crown Prince, very little idea of their own importance as sons of the German Emperor, and but small prescience of the exalted positions they were destined to hold. I think this was the most delight- ful part about them, and a great proof of the simplicity of their upbringing. Prince Oscar once informed me that he had been seriously thinking over what he would do to earn his living when he grew up, and he had finally made up his mind to become a droshky-driver. I could not outwardly laugh at the child's solemn and earnest tone, but I felt that even for nine years MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 47 old he had but little opinion of his high destiny. The others would tell me what they in- tended to be when they grew up, equally humble callings, I think, but Oscar's choice is the only one I happen to have recorded. I was instructed to teach them kindness towards the poor, and not patronize such folk when they spoke to them, as a Prince might be no better than a pauper in the sight of the Almighty. I did not have much difficulty in en- forcing this precept ; they were naturally kind-hearted boys, and had inherited their parents' easy way of talking with their humbler subjects. I once got permission to take the Princes outside the Palace grounds, but it turned out to be so great a responsibility that I did not repeat it. . We were in a field on this occasion with Prince Adalbert. No one appeared to be in sight, when suddenly a rough-looking man walked out from the hedge and asked whether we knew of any 48 POTSDAM PRINCES work for him, as he was hungry and there must be work for the rich around to give him. The man's general demeanour was one of defiance, it seemed to me. I was always careful to let the Princes fear no one, and had never touched on the topic of anarchy. The Princes were specially well brought up to take interest in the poor. On this occasion, Prince Adalbert, not un- naturally, resented such rude address, and started to walk on, ignoring the man. In a low tone I asked him to turn round and express his regret that the man should find himself in such circumstances, which he at once did his kind-heartedness to- wards the poor instantly reasserting itself. This seemed to appease the tramp, but I well remember how anxious I felt during the interview, not knowing what might ensue. On another occasion, when out walking with Prince Oscar, we met a strange-look- ing man in some sort of uniform. We were in the vicinity of Wild Park. This man looked rather like an officer. He stopped MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 49 us, and asked whether we had come from the station, and if we could inform him when the Emperor would be returning, as he was then away. I took care to give all the answers myself, the Prince being quite young, and replied that I knew nothing about the Emperor's movements. There- upon he went away, but I noticed him watching us for some time, so I manoeuvred until I got near one of the gates where was the usual sentry. Upon this the man dis- appeared. After these two experiences, though I made no mention of them, I de- termined to keep within the grounds, even though my suspicions might have been unfounded. Prince Wilhelm was never allowed to be called the Crown Prince while I was there ; I think it was only on his eighteenth birth- day that he gained that distinction and became entitled to a separate establish- ment of his own. But, in spite of this, one felt the difference between him and his brothers, and one never had a chance of forgetting that he was the heir to the 4 50 POTSDAM PRINCES throne. Even the note-paper supplied to his private apartments in the Neues Palais had " Crown Prince " embossed upon it, and woe betide his brothers if they dared to use it ! Each Prince, being bullied or teased by his elder, would in turn take it out upon his younger brothers ; though I ought to add that I do not remember Prince Fritz, the second boy, giving much trouble in this respect. He was a favourite son, and in my time he was quite a nice boy. The younger ones managed to stand up for them- selves, and many and smart were the repar- tees they dared to fling back at their elders. Oscar was three or four years younger than Adalbert, by whom he was chiefly teased, yet he managed to inflict a wound with his tongue which nearly reduced his elder to tears. I took each of them to task privately over this, and was somewhat amused by little Prince Oscar's statement that he had " tried kindness and found that it some- times succeeded." " I know Adalbert has weak nerves," MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 51 he added, " so I won't be unkind to him any more," This young Prince was not yet ten when he made this diagnosis of his thirteen-year- old brother's nerves the very last thing from which boys of that age might be expected to suffer. I thought it so funny that I could hardly keep a straight face, but Prince Oscar did not notice my efforts to conceal my amusement. They were always very sorry for their faults, and being brought up with the idea that it showed moral generosity to admit themselves in the wrong, they generally apologized for their misdeeds. Many were the badly spelt English notes, scrawled in a boyish hand, that would be sent up to my room by a lackey, and solemnly presented on a silver tray. " I bag your pardon, Miss Howard," was the most com- plete apology I ever got from that master of English at any rate " as she is spoke " the Crown Prince. It was Prince Adal- bert who wrote to me, " Don't be said," when I was not very well ; and the boy's 52 POTSDAM PRINCES gentle sympathy, expressed in this droll way, really made me feel less sad. Of books the Princes were never tired, and they undoubtedly were considerably influenced by them. So much so that their behaviour was decidedly affected for two or three days by the reading of a saintly story. Books by Dean Farrar were great favourites. It was my custom to read aloud to the Princes, and I was once inter- rupted while reading " Eric " by one of them suddenly standing up and exclaiming furi- ously, " I wish I could get hold of the offender." It was genuine wrath on the Prince's part, and it was a good thing that the offender was not present. I of course aways read through the books beforehand in order to eliminate words or episodes which did not seem to be suitable. When we were going through " Julian Home," by Farrar, Prince Adalbert was in a mischievous stage of his boyhood, and I decided to omit a love-scene which is in that book. In the way I read it, the hero went up to his lady-love, saying, MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 53 " Will you marry me ? " and with a prompt, decisive answer she replied, " Yes." This adaptation of the scene appealed to Prince Adalbert, who jumped up with the words, " I have often wondered what I should say if I wanted to marry a girl now I know." I wonder if the scene recalled itself to him when his betrothal took place not so long ago. The visiting clergyman was a young man named Herr Kessler. He seemed to ex- ercise very considerable influence over the Princes. And here I might say that there is a very great difference in the social standing of the German clergy, and also lawyers, as com- pared with our own. They are regarded as outside the Court circle altogether, not- withstanding the fact that they play such an important part in the life of the Royal Family. The preparation for confirmation alone was a great responsibility. This prepara- tion is not a matter of a few months or weeks, as with us, but of one or even two 54 POTSDAM PRINCES years. On the day of confirmation the candidate must write out his religious convictions, and make a statement of his resolution for future . behaviour. This written declaration was considered of vital importance, especially by the Princes' parents. It had to be written solely by the young Prince himse 1 ^ and no assistance or suggestions were made to him. Examination-times were perfect terrors to the Princes, and, may I add, to myself. As a rule the Kaiserin sat all through the hours of this tortuous examination. The last year I was there, it fell to my lot to attend, as the Kaiserin and her ladies were all down with influenza. It was really piteous to see how nervous the Princes were. I sat in a room adjoining and could hear their answers. One at a time was ex- amined, and during their waiting-time I did my best to divert their thoughts and cheer them. It lasted two days, and directly the finish came I well remember their overpowering joy pick-a-backing each other and doing no end of curious MY PUPILSTHE PRINCES 55 tricks. The result at that examination was that they each got a remove in class. Though working always alone, they had a fixed standard of work to reach according to their age. Their love for both their parents was intense, although they naturally turned to their mother when in need of sympathy, rather than to their father, who was apt to be over-stern with them at times. I find an extract in my diary, early in April 1898, when the Kaiserin had not been very well and was ordered to rest quietly at Homburg-vor-der-H6he, only the two youngest children being allowed to join her after Easter. One of the governors had told me I had better prepare the boys for the fact that they were not to go. They had no particular fondness for this Palace, their sorrow was at being away from their mother, rather than at not being allowed to go to the Palace in question. My diary runs thus : " I tell the boys they may not be allowed to go. All three burst into tears, or rather 56 POTSDAM PRINCES Au-Wi and Oscar indulge in loud sobs ; while Prince Adalbert gets very excited, working off his grief in anger, and finally disappears to his room. Gradually I com- fort the two youngest. Oscar gets very quiet, and just lies on the sofa and cries. Au-Wi goes on sobbing, and says he will promise to try and bear it. Then I go to see what Adalbert is up to, and I find him writing furiously in his diary. Supper is announced, and I send away the lackeys, saying we will wait on ourselves ; it is only too evident that the boys have been crying, and servants must not look on the grief of Princes who are old enough to control themselves. After supper they feel better, though they are still rather quiet. The governor comes in, and as soon as he has gone out again, Prince Adalbert gets quite merry, and for the benefit of his younger brothers makes superhuman efforts to play the piano first with his nose and then with his toes ! He falls off his chair occasionally, and the younger boys cannot help laughing at his absurd antics ; so they all go to bed much happier." One very noticeable trait in these Princes MY PUPILS THE PRINCES 57 was their capability of silence. For such young boys it often astonished me. For instance, if in their presence differ- ences arose between any of the courtiers (and naturally few words would be spoken), it was wonderful how quickly they under- stood friction was going on. Above all, nothing would induce them to make any comment. They also had a habit of becoming apparently extra united to each other, should one of them be under reproof or blamed for anything. It was quite amusing to watch the result. They might, at the time, have been quite unfriendly with each other, but should a governor walk in and find fault with one of them, they were all up in arms against him. And when left to themselves, the causer of offence became suddenly the favourite and most popular brother. It was from babyhood engraved in the young Princes' minds that to have one of " papa's photographs " was something of great honour. And often did they present me with the little pictures of the Kaiser 58 POTSDAM PRINCES taken from bon-bon boxes, expecting me to be made very happy by them. There was quite an affection between myself and these three Princes, and for two or three years after I left they often wrote to me ; but since then I have lost touch with them, and have not been able to follow the development of their char- acters. From what one hears, it seems that the high qualities expressed in their early boyhood have been somewhat ex- tinguished as they grew to manhood, but of that I am no competent judge. CHAPTER III THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM MUCH has been said, more has been written, and more ink will yet be spilt over this eternal truth of Prussia. Ink, did I say, printer's ink ? The casualty list in my morning newspaper tells me that the history of Prussian militarism is written in letters of blood, the blood of my own kindred, as well as that of nearly every nation of the world. Be that as it may, I set out here to tell the story of my young charges' early life, when all was more or less peace and good- will between my country and theirs. I should not tell my story truly did I omit the all - pervading influence of militarism in which they were cradled from early infancy. Heredity apart, their environ- 60 POTSDAM PRINCES ment alone was sufficient to produce the most martial spirit that Prussian junkerdom could wish for. No sooner does a Royal infant enter this world than the booming of the guns' salute announces the joyous fact to the waiting populace without. Everyone counts breathlessly up to twenty-one, then there is a moment of still greater tension; for if the salute stops at twenty-one it is only a Princess that has been born to the house of Hohenzollern. But as the sound of the twenty-second gun reverberates on the still air, the joy of the good Berlin folk knows no bounds, for a Prince has been born to the German Empire. The guns go booming on ; a few enthusi- asts count them right up to a hundred and one, the salute by which an infant Prince is honoured in Germany. It is a fraction under five times as much as that accorded to his baby sister ; but he is fifty times more important, for even though he may never be called upon to occupy the throne he will be a man and a soldier. THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 61 Born to the sound of cannon and to the roll of drums, the military proclivities of these Prussian Princes were early de- veloped. Almost as soon as they could toddle uniforms were made for them, and at the age the ordinary baby learns to wave its hand and lisp " Ta-ta " they were taught the stiffest and smartest of military salutes. Their first, and practically their only toys were tin soldiers, cannons, forts, anything and everything calculated to develop martial ardour. Of these toys they never tired, their interest being stimulated by their various governors, who used to spend much time in distinctly uncomfortable and undignified attitudes, giving the benefit of their expert military advice. One of them informed me with much solemnity that the old Emperor William I was a great believer in tin soldiers for the educa- tion of boys. This remark struck me as humorous and I had some ado to keep a straight face, until he explained that it was on account of the exercise of imagina- 62 POTSDAM PRINCES tion in making battle plans and the self- control and patience demanded by the constant toppling over of the tiny toy soldiers. I felt inclined to ask him if that was the reason they were not made suffici- ently firmly to stand up properly, but I refrained. There was one set of each regiment of the German Army, all other European countries being represented, an appalling amount of them altogether. Many and great were the battles fought, always ending in victory for the Prussian arms, generally a defeat for the French, and sometimes, but not so often, for the British. Oftentimes they would vary the war game by drawing pictures for my special edification, and many a time have I seen my countrymen absolutely annihilated on paper very small British soldiers lying flat, and huge Prussian Uhlans walking over them. It was their great delight at one time to thus try and kindle my wrath, but I did not rise to it as they hoped. In this particular artistic form of militarism I felt THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 63 that they were sometimes a little unkind, but never intentionally so ; and after all they were but boys. The old platitude " Boys will be boys " is very true, be they Princes or paupers. Of course they drew other objects besides soldiers, but the martial idea was pre- dominant. The Crown Prince nearly always drew cavalry, and scarcely any picture of his have I seen without a man on horseback. Prince Fritz, whose martial zeal I have mentioned before, used to depict the stiffest and squarest of German infantrymen, with practically every detail of uniform and equipment complete. His soldiers were nearly always carrying their packs, and otherwise loaded up ready for active service. Ships and sailors he likewise drew with some ability, but that of course was the special forte of Adalbert, the Sailor Prince, who would occasionally find fault on technical grounds with his brother's nautical details. Their knowledge of European armies 64 POTSDAM PRINCES was really wonderful ; they seemed to have the naval and military strength of each Power at their fingers' ends. I remember being surprised by Prince Oscar, then only nine years old, voicing his opinion in quite a grown-up manner on the question of possible war between France and Russia. I think, though, he said they would even- tually fight against each other. History proves him wrong, France and Russia being our two most powerful Allies in the great war of to-day. These opinions they imbibed from their governors under whose care they were placed from the tender age of seven years. The same system is in force for every Prussian Prince, whose military governor is responsible for his general upbringing and education. With the Princes, as I think I have already mentioned, the head governor was a general, and each governor descended in rank downwards according to the age and position of his charge. Thus with the five eldest Princes there were five grades of officers, descending in A SNOC LITTLE KOONER (A SNUG LITTLE CORNER) A drawing by the Crown Princ THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 65 rank from general to lieutenant. I was told that they often gave up the chance of promotion by thus remaining away from their regiments, but I have no doubt they had their compensations ! Their ideas of training were Spartan, in emulation of Frederick the Great's harsh boyhood, each governor seeing in his charge an embryo great man, who would ripen to glorious maturity by means of his stern training, yielding, they hoped, to his governor the credit. That this severe regime was productive of much friction between the Kaiser and the Kaiserin, the governors and myself, myself and the tyrant of the nursery, may well be imagined. Indeed, I have already described my difficulties with the nursery sphere of influence. The governors' sole object was to edu- cate their charges for a military life. They subjected them to the severest discipline and hardships, and were resentful when I found occasion to suggest that they had set the young Princes tasks far beyond 5 66 POTSDAM PRINCES them, and sometimes even detrimental to their health. One morning the Princes had to get up at an unearthly hour in order to scale a high mountain and see the sunrise. They related their experiences to me on their return, and I learnt that Prince Au-Wi felt very giddy on the way up, and suddenly turned white. His governor just splashed his face with water and made him go on with the climb at once. They also told me that Prince Oscar nearly fell asleep when driving back (mercifully they were not made to walk down again), but he indignantly denied the imputation in fact, to quote his own words, " I did not fall asleep ! I was determined not to, as then they would all say that I had slept through fatigue, and what a disgrace that would be ! " These military officers were not really fit to judge what children could or could not do, but it was difficult for me to tell them so. I was supposed to report to them when- ever the Princes did not behave as they THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 67 should, and I did so ; but the wrongdoing was treated so severely that I often let things pass with a gentle reprimand from my own lips, hoping to save them from such stern military ideas of punishment. The governors kept a mark-book for the boys, but not an ordinary one. Each mark was for " merit," and far from easy to attain. Only once did I enter one in this book, and it was as if I had signed my name to an important document. I was interviewed by the head governor, ques- tioned as to whether the Prince in question (I forget now which one it was) deserved the mark, and upon my detailed report the fiat went forth that the boy was not suffi- ciently worthy, and the mark was ordered to be struck out of the book. Each Prince had to get a certain number of marks, otherwise all amusements were stopped, and they were not allowed to see any friends or go to any picnics that might be on. There were generally one or two of them short of the requisite number of marks, and each governor would take 68 POTSDAM PRINCES possession of his Prince and ride and drive with him alone, the latter being considered in disgrace and not allowed to be with his brothers or with me. In this connexion I used to think of the old adage, " It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good " ; for, though I felt sorry for them, I was often relieved of my charges in this way, and gained a little leisure through their short- comings. September 2, the anniversary of Sedan, was always a great day. A holiday was given to commemorate the victory, and early on my first Sedan morning it was suggested to me that I should send up a bouquet to the Princes and express my congratulations to the Prussian Army. I should never have thought of this by myself, but congratulatory bouquets seemed to be expected on any and every anniversary, so I acted in accordance with the suggestion offered. Prince August Wilhelm came in person to thank me on behalf of his brothers, and by request of his governor to invite me upstairs at nine o'clock. At the THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 69 appointed time I went into the schoolroom, where the governor and the three Princes arrived simultaneously. The governor first showed us Sedan on the map ; none of us being given any chance to ever forget its exact geographical position on the right bank of the Meuse, nor the actual dates. I had been vaguely aware of the latter, but I now learnt how, on September I, 1870, the Prussians had defeated a large French force, and how on the following day the Emperor Napoleon III surrendered with the whole of his army of 86,000 men. The governor read the whole account aloud from a book by Bismarck, I think he said and he certainly declaimed it in a most stirring manner, calculated to fill his hearers with martial ardour. The story dwelt much on the old Emperor William I (or King William as he then was), enlarging on his humility after the victory. It related how, when Napoleon asked whether he should come himself to the little Schloss of Bellevue to deliver his arms, the " thoughtful, gentle " old monarch 70 POTSDAM PRINCES William, knowing that Napoleon would have to march through the whole Prussian Army to get to him, said he himself would go to Napoleon ; kindly using the latter's ill-health as his reason for sparing him this humiliation. Then came a description of the very arduous work done by William I at the age of seventy-three. The quotation may not be accurate, but my diary extract runs thus : "He is on the battle-field all day long, and hard at work. He stands and renders the entire glory of the victory to God. He is in no way elated, and with his far- seeing insight he declares that trouble with France is not at an end." The Princes were all very much moved, and several times I saw Prince Oscar turn his head towards the screen to hide his emotion. I was given little chance throughout the day to forget the great anniversary, the various ladies being anxious to supply THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 71 me with complete details, of which I, being English, might be ignorant and glad to avail myself from an authentic source. As it was, I did happen to be rather glad that I had absorbed so much of the governor's reading to the Princes early in the morning, as I was able to let them see that my ignorance was not so great as they thought. That evening there was a very fine sun- set, and Prince Adalbert and I were in the garden, watching it. There was silence for a moment, then he said, "When I see the lovely red sky to-night, I think it is the reflection of the blood of our brave men who died at Sedan." I thought it rather a beautiful remark, and it struck me that the governor's emotional rendering of the battle-story had evidently made a deep impression on the boy's mind. After a service on the anniversary of the old Emperor's death (William the First), I went down to visit one of the ladies : she told me what a wonderful expression 72 POTSDAM PRINCES of humble thankfulness he had on his face when the tidings came of the birth of the present Crown Prince. He said, " Oh, what grace God has shown me ! " As he lay dying, he appeared to see visions and spoke much. He seemed to be having a conflict of some kind, but to be quite at peace through it all. He said, " If war must come, I will be willing to fight, but I am not willing ever to make the first move." He would talk on and on, but when spoken to he would become quite clear and co- herent. For instance, when his daughter, the Grand Duchess of Baden, said, " Papa, won't you drink some champagne ? '" he answered quite clearly, saying he would take some. To see the poor old paralysed Empress sitting, holding his hand all the time, was most pathetic. She also told me what a splendid character the Emperor Frederick was (the old Emperor's son). Tales of the Franco-Prussian War were constantly being told to the Princes, and these they would retail to me with great gusto. A favourite one was that of a THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 73 particular Prussian who, surrounded by five Frenchmen, manged to kill them all. I grew to hate this story, as each Prince would tell it me in turn, and I had to applaud the Prussian's bravery each time, as if the glory of it had only just struck me. From their earliest years the Princes and even the little Princess were accorded the military honour of the turning out of the guard whenever they came in or went out through the Palace gates. No matter what they might be doing in the guard- house at the time, as one approached with any of the Princes one would hear the soldiers make a sudden rush for their rifles, and as we came up there they would be, stiffly ranged in line, presenting arms. This salute the Princes had to acknowledge, and it happened several times a day. I felt quite sorry both for them and for the guard too. At ten years, each Prussian Prince is made a lieutenant of the regiment of the ist Guards, the uniform of which he wears on state occasions, such as Christmas Eve, 74 POTSDAM PRINCES birthdays, and so forth. I remember the three elder ones garbed thus gorgeously, and wearing all their orders, sitting behind the Kaiser and the Kaiserin on the night of a gala performance at the Opera. There was a Russian Royalty present, and the piece was Russian in compliment to him. This Prince was visiting the Kaiser, and I recollect there were special precautions taken to protect him, no less than four guards being stationed outside his bedroom door. There was a parade in honour of this visitor, and my young charges were very excited because new colours were to be given to some particular regiment, I forget which. Each of the Princes and also the Princess had to drive a nail into the staff of the flag, which they did with great enthusiasm. On the following day the Crown Prince and Prince Fritz were to be given twenty-one men to command their first real introduction to military life as officers. I remember I was playing chess with Prince Adalbert when Prince THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 75 Fritz burst in full of the coming honour and rehearsed his words of command, which sent his brother and myself into fits of laughter ; though we duly applauded his efforts, and congratulated him on his new-found importance. Potsdam, their real home, being of course a garrison town, there was no lack of soldiers about. The German officer even in peace-time never wears anything but uni- form, and his thick-set, square-shouldered figure may be seen arrogantly striding along the streets. If the pavement is too narrow to accommodate all its pedestrians, it is he who has the right to remain lord of the pathway, and mere civilians or women meekly make their way in the gutter. He is ready to flirt with every pretty girl he sees, and because she is taught to reverence the Army, she oftens gets herself into difficulties in this way. Even in my time this was so, and the Princes' military governors were no ex- ception to the general rule. Nevertheless, ;6 POTSDAM PRINCES they had the grace to remember their high position and responsibilities, and never overstepped the standards expected of an officer and a gentleman at least, so far as I knew. I received orders as to my moral influence with the Princes. I was told to teach them self-control and to be very strict with them, reporting them immediately to their governors if, for any reason, they gave way to tears, or made any other unmanly exhibition of themselves. I was to let them see that I trusted them, that I gave them credit for a sense of honour, and that I never suspected them ; but all the same I was not to tempt them. When giving out sweets, I was only to give them three each, however much they clamoured for more. I was never to allow any wrong action to go unnoticed or un- punished ; and I was to report them to the governors for this purpose. " A wrong deed nursed in a child's heart is the worst poison to his mind," was the aphorism uttered by the head governor THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 77 as he outlined to me the moral training of my young charges. Long - division sums seemed a more fruitful cause of tears than any other part of their rather arduous studies. Often Prince Oscar would come to me and tell me he was being kept in by his tutor to wrestle with such sums, and there he would be kept until he could master these intricacies of arithmetic. Recalling the weary hours of my child- hood spent over long - division sums, I could not but sympathize ; although, as instructed, I endeavoured to point out the extreme unmanliness and uselessness of crying over them. Sometimes the Kaiserin herself would speak to her boys about their trying to master their arith- metic, and more tears would be the result. But I must say when I saw these and other problems that their brains were expected to grapple with, I thought them far too difficult. I remember once when Princess Aribert (a married daughter of Prince Christian) 78 POTSDAM PRINCES was staying at the Palace, she found the boys in tears, and told them how as a child her father used to offer her a penny for every day she went without crying, and how she used to save up her tears and have them all out at once, sitting on his knee and bedewing his shoulder with them. Meanwhile, in his practical way, he had protected his clothes by placing a hand- kerchief on his shoulder to take off the edge of her weeping ! " I did not manage to earn much money this way," she said ruefully. In those days Zeppelins and aeroplanes were hardly heard of, and certainly never seen. I am sure the Princes would have gone wild with delight if they had had the opportunity in their boyhood of witnessing thus the conquest of the air. Nevertheless, their attendance at military reviews and parades was of frequent occurrence, and these gave them a certain solemn sense of pride and pleasure. Brought up thus to the blare of trumpets, can it be wondered at that they early THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 79 imbibed the teaching drummed into them by almost every detail of their military training ? " Might is right " was the spirit of this teaching, and the comforting legend " Gott mit uns " (God with us), inscribed on their equipment, salved their con- sciences from any qualms as to the suffering of the unfortunate victims of the mailed fist. I remember being so much impressed by their wonderful obedience that I wrote home about it to my sister and counselled her to bring up her boys in the same manner. The Princes were taught to obey on the instant, and I once rather got into trouble by reiterating my command before there had been time to carry it out. It was only a small matter, but it led to quite a dissertation on the subject gener- ally. It happened like this : One day they were all in wild spirits, noisy as boys will be, and I said to Prince Fritz : " Don't make a noise going downstairs." He was a big, heavy boy, and often used 8o POTSDAM PRINCES to clatter at full speed down the stairs, taking too long a jump when he neared the bottom, and landing with a huge crash which I thought might disturb his parents. If not this, he would slide noisily down the banisters, as boys will. Not expecting him to restrain his ex- uberant spirits at the first time of asking, I leaned over the stairs and called down : " I mean what I say, Prince Fritz." It appears he was sorely hurt, poor boy, as he prided himself on never being told such a thing twice. He said to his mother : " Miss Howard, I believe, doubts my honour. She is not like the other teachers." Then the Kaiserin sent for me, and we had a little talk. She was very kind, and when I remarked that I did not expect a boy to obey on the instant like that, struck though I was by their prompt obedience generally, she replied that her boys were all brought up under military discipline. " They are drilled from babyhood," she said, " and they know that in the Army THE CRADLE OF MILITARISM 81 to disobey is death or for ever to be dis- missed from the Service. Likewise, any disobedience on their part has been made so terribly serious to them, in order to impress them and prevent its recurrence." This training struck me as extremely convenient for those in authority, and excellent for boys generally, provided that their superior officers were just, and did not take advantage of their despotic powers in this respect. But for grown men, the defects of ex- cessive militarism seemed to me very apparent. Being a woman, I have of course no personal experience to speak from, and were I a man and a soldier I should perhaps think very differently. It did not matter for the Princes when they grew older, as they were the sons of the Emperor and born to command, but it did seem to me then, and later years have only confirmed my view, that to the ordinary young officer in the German Army this unbroken and unintelligently applied letter of discipline, this counting 82 POTSDAM PRINCES it a crime even among comrades to criticize a superior officer, this blind obedience to the orders perhaps of fools, which the system of automatic promotion has placed over his head, tends to warp initiative and brains. Only when he becomes in his turn a colonel or a general may he use his initiative, which as often as not has gone from him with the passing of his youth. CHAPTER IV THE LIGHTER SIDE LIKE other boys, the Princes were full of fun, and their high spirits, much in evidence, were often mani- fested in military form, in accordance with the general trend of the German mind. The Crown Prince, then nearly fourteen years of age, was at home when I took up my appointment. I remember that he was in the habit of marching his younger brothers in to meals, forming them up in line and ordering them to their seats in true soldierly manner. Very shortly after my formal presentation to the Princes, and before I definitely took charge, the Crown Prince invited me to " fall in " also. This I did, somewhat to the detri- ment of my dignity, as he immediately initiated a sort of " Follow-my-leader " 83 84 POTSDAM PRINCES drill, not the least of the orders given being to vault a chair at which command I promptly fell out. Needless to say, there were roars of laughter from all the boys, in which I joined, and was soon at my ease with them. Their fondness for practical jokes kept me ever on the alert. It was their great delight to upset my equanimity on any and every possible occasion the more formal the better. In spite of my being constantly on my guard, I fear they often succeeded. Once the Crown Prince caught some live frogs and imprisoned them inside my serviette at supper, and well do I remember the shouts of delight which hailed my involuntary exclamation of horror as my fingers came in contact with the cold and clammy reptiles. All the Princes enjoyed themselves hugely catching them again, but I cannot say I had much appetite for my food that night, the whole table having served as the course of an obstacle-race for frogs. Some of their practical jokes were not THE LIGHTER SIDE 85 of the kindest order, but I will give only one instance in which I myself suffered through the more thoughtless form of boyish prank. One day in the grounds of the Wilhelms- hohe Palace, near Cassel, Prince Adalbert was out cycling, and I was with him. We were at the top of a steep hill, when he suddenly gave a yell and tore down it at full speed, seeming to lose control of his machine as he did so. Anticipating an accident, my heart in my mouth, I tore down after him. To my horror, I saw the machine overturn and the Prince flung into the ditch. When I arrived on the scene, panting and breathless, he was lying mute and still, to all appearances unconscious. Had I been the modern girl of to-day, I should have been trained in first aid and would have known at once what to do. As it was, I did the wrong thing. Not a soul was near, or likely to pass within call. I did not like to leave him lying there while I went to summon help, and the only thing that occurred to 86 POTSDAM PRINCES me was to myself carry him back to the Palace. The way back lay up the terribly steep hill we had just come down. I gathered him up in my arms, staggering under his weight, and started slowly up the hill. He was then about fourteen, and no light weight. I am not a big woman, and lack physical strength, nor was my health very good at the time. Nevertheless, I staggered on, bearing my princely burden, only intense anxiety giving me strength to continue. My arms were breaking, and at last I felt I must drop him, or he would fall from my weaken- ing hold. Imagine my state of mind, then, when he suddenly flung himself away from me, and danced in front of me, shouting with glee at my distress ! He had purposely fallen off his bicycle and shammed insensibility in order to frighten me ! I was too weak to admonish him, and my intense relief at his safety pre- vented the lecture he deserved. We re- turned to the Palace, after I had rested, but I was in such a state that I felt I had THE LIGHTER SIDE 87 not the strength to report what had happened, besides which I had no wish to show up my foolishness in being so easily taken in. For some days afterwards I felt the physical effects of carrying such a weight uphill, and I shall never forget the nervous shock it gave me. It took me quite a long time to get my bearing and to fit into my exact niche in the life of the German Court. The duties assigned to me on arrival were, I found, sufficiently elastic to admit of the inclusion of new ones and the elimination of old ones to suit the sudden whims of those in authority, but the new duties added increased out of all proportion to the old duties superseded. At first, I often did things not within my province, though I only did them on the suggestion of someone or other whom I thought to be in authority. For instance, I had been there quite a short time when I was told that Prince Oscar came in to meals with dirty hands, and I was instructed to take the matter up with the lackey whose duty it was to wash 88 POTSDAM PRINCES the Princes' hands before meals. These lackeys wear the most wonderful silver- braided uniform, not really very military- looking, but to my ignorant eyes there was little to distinguish them one from the other. At any rate, there was one of these ornate functionaries in the room where the Princes' ablutions took place, and I accordingly approached him and informed him that I would show him how I wished the young Princes' hands washed. This seemed to cause much suppressed merri- ment on the Princes' part, half-stifled chuckles issuing from them as I gave my very practical demonstration to the lackey in question, and precise instructions, not to say orders, for him to do it properly in future. I merely thought they were laughing at my bad German, and paid no heed, afterwards going upstairs to dress for luncheon. There were several dis- tinguished guests that day, and I was suddenly told to come and be presented to a particularly important person, the Kaiserin's brother, Duke Ernest of Schles- THE LIGHTER SIDE 89 wig-Holstein. Imagine my consternation when this latter informed me that he needed no introduction, as I had kindly given him a very useful lesson before luncheon on the subject of hand-washing. At the time I thought it a terrible contretemps, and blamed my shortsighted- ness as well as my ignorance of uniforms ; but my sense of humour soon asserted itself, and the recollection of this incident still affords me intense amusement. One evening during my early days the Princes were sent for to go downstairs to their parents, which enabled me to go to my room to read and rest. Getting into a comfortable old frock as a preliminary, I prepared to enjoy my leisure hour. Sud- denly one of the Princes appeared and informed me I was to go down immediately, as the Kaiser wished me to be presented to their great-aunt. There was no time to change, so, in despair, 1 seized some smart new gloves, that indispensable ad- junct, and went down to a part of the Palace I had not previously been in. The 90 POTSDAM PRINCES room was empty save for a fat old lady, sitting in a chair in the centre. The first thing that struck me was the quantity of antimacassars which seemed to envelop her, then I noticed that her face was re- markably red. One of the Princes whis- pered to me, " Make your bow," which I immediately did. I was then told to go near and kiss her hand. As I approached to do this, the old lady appeared more and more embarrassed. Finally, when I bowed right in front of her, expecting her to extend a hand for me to kiss, she suddenly stood up and asked the Princes to excuse her as she could do no more at the same time she profusely begged my pardon. The truth was out at last. This was their idea of amusement. Their Majesties were down at dinner, and the pseudo great-aunt was an old nurse, who was permitted to annually pay her respects to the Kaiser. Another time I was nearly made sick by the most fearful concoction of vinegar, salt, and sugar which Prince Fritz slipped into my soda water. Quite unsuspectingly THE LIGHTER SIDE 91 I took a long drink, to my utter discom- fiture, and their great delight. When the Princes' school-work was well done they were allowed to invite to the Palace boy-friends whose ages were about the same. Such days were always dreaded by me, for the visitors were unable to speak or understand English, and being very boisterous the assemblage became a very excited one. So much so that I found it almost impossible to manage them. Eventually, however, the governor took upon himself this responsibility. I noticed on these occasions that the food was particularly German, the notorious sausage playing an important part. Now, I could never bring myself to like this particular delicacy as the Germans did, and this fact was well known to the Crown Prince. One day he presented me with a very huge sausage, saying that even if I did not eat it myself he felt sure that it would be appreciated by my people, and suggested I should send it to my mother. And this I did ! 92 POTSDAM PRINCES The Crown Prince would ask me repeat- edly what my people had said. At last a letter arrived, but its contents proved a great disappointment. Whether it was that the packing was not properly carried out, or that the sausage had been too long on the journey, the fact remained that on the parcel reaching my home the postman was obliged to leave it at the bottom of the garden ! When occasion arose, the Princes were just as ready to fool their governors. They often succeeded in doing so, at which I was secretly rather amused, not to say pleased ; for these latter might be expected, by their more intimate knowledge and ex- perience of boyhood and their command of the mother tongue, to avoid the pitfalls into which I, a woman and unable to speak German, fell headlong. On a certain first of April, Prince Au-Wi was due to attend an examination. He dressed as usual, then put his night-shirt over his clothes, procured some powder from somewhere, and made his face as naturally THE LIGHTER SIDE 93 pale as he could, at the same time manu- facturing dark rings round his eyes. He then jumped into bed, put on a woebegone expression, and sent to tell his governor that he felt so ill he feared he could not attend the examination. The governor, much alarmed, anything in the nature of illness being a terrible thing in the Palace, hurried to his bedside ; whereupon the Prince, after enjoying his consternation for just as long as he thought it would last, suddenly bounded out of bed, crying, " April fool ! April fool ! " I am glad to say that the auspicious date saved him from punishment for his practical joke on this occasion. But Au-Wi and his brothers did not always get such satisfaction out of their love of fun. An artist was once copying a very old portrait of one of their ancestors. Finding the picture-gallery untenanted, two of the boys slipped in and amused them- selves by pretending to paint on their own account. They had no real intention of spoiling the picture, thinking the palette 94 POTSDAM PRINCES and brushes were dry. Each seized one and swept it across the canvas on the easel, leaving a fearful daub of paint. Terrified at what they had done, they rushed to confess to the governors ; and though already dressed for the Opera that night, they were forbidden to go, and consequently spent the evening in disgrace. It must not be thought that the Princes' lives were all hardship. Recreation entered in just as strenuously as study. Tennis was extremely popular, and a good deal of time was spent on it. In this game the Kaiser would often join them, and at such times he was seen at his best with his sons, I thought. They each had bicycles, and like all boys were not content to ride them in the ordinary way like everyone else, but must needs practise all sorts of tricks, till some- times, when they showed these off success- fully, it was quite like a circus performance of trick-riding. Princes Adalbert and Oscar were especially good in this direction. They led quite an open-air life, and as they THE LIGHTER SIDE 95 grew older opportunities for sport in- creased. They were always much with animals,, and often used to get presents of live stock. One night, before supper, a hamper was suddenly brought to them, and great were the surmises as to what it might contain. Upon opening it, much to our surprise, a very lively young cockerel suddenly jumped out. There had been no sound or suspicion of his presence while the hamper was being opened. He was vociferously welcomed by the boys though not by me and was the cause of much laughter ; but he finally became so unmanageable and pecked so viciously that he had to be taken away. What became of him I don't know, I was only too thankful to see the last of him. The Kaiser, too, used to receive many gifts of animals of various kinds, but especi- ally of horses and dogs. The Royal stables at the Neues Palais in Potsdam were wonderful, and I used to enjoy going over them no less than did my young pupils. I remember a beautiful black charger pre- 96 POTSDAM PRINCES sented by some crowned head, but I cannot recall the name of the illustrious donor. As for the kennels, they were beauti- fully kept, and there were some fine dogs. Two little dachshunds I specially admired. They belonged to the Kaiser, so I saw less of them than the Princes' own particular pets. There were two very fine Russian boarhounds given to the Kaiser by the Tsar, and these were extremely valuable. I had good cause to remember them, as their particular kennels were close under my bedroom window and their howling at the moon invariably kept me awake. The Princes used to add to their meagre pocket-money by gathering and storing chestnuts, which they sold to their august father as food for his deer at the price of twenty marks per sack. During the autumn months nearly everyone in the Court used to help to add to their collection, throwing them as they found them into a sort of little red parcel-post cart drawn by Prince Oscar. One day, after luncheon, the Kaiser suddenly decided to pay the PRINCE OSCAR AT THE AGE OF 12 THE LIGHTER SIDE 97 boys their chestnut money, and there was a breathless scramble just as they were to the play-house in the garden where the chestnuts were stored, the five boys all breathless and untidy hauling huge sacks of chestnuts into the ordered Palace dining- room and depositing their burden at the Kaiser's feet. Away from Berlin, the daily luncheons with the Imperial couple were sometimes quite a homely affair. Often, after the meal, if circumstances allowed, they would themselves join in a game of musical chairs for the benefit of the little Princess. I was always called upon to play on these occa- sions, and as my music was limited to one tune I was not sorry when the game ceased. I used to play it over and over again, until they must have got as tired of it as I was, but never until they tired of the game it- self did they stop. I do not even remember the name of my one tune ; it was a march of some sort, and I picked it out myself as a young girl. The boys used to ask for it when the Crown Prince marched them 7 98 POTSDAM PRINCES in to supper ; and in later years, while in Japan, where I spent seven years teach- ing the young Princes how to speak my native tongue, I often played it for them. Never was a tune so hard worked or so useful ! At the top of the Neues Palais there was a very large room where the Princes played games and also learnt to dance. I re- member once seeing the Kaiser play foot- ball with them there. One winter I taught them hockey, which they mch enjoyed, though we were rather at a loss for proper implements of this sport. Nevertheless, we made shift with old stilts instead of hockey sticks, and an old wooden ball, the " jack " of a bowling set, was not difficult to get hold of. The boys were rather rough, but enjoyed themselves greatly in this manner. Sometimes, when the Kaiser was away on one of his many journeys, we ladies and the Princes had supper alone with the Kaiserin ; and afterwards we used to play games. I used to be rather apprehensive as THE LIGHTER SIDE 99 to whether the boys' choice of amusement would be adopted, having a lively re- collection of one of my best black dresses being spoilt by a game in which a barrel of flour played a prominent part. The first idea was to find a bean, buried deep in the flour. We were each allowed a certain number of dips, and the Kaiserin was the first to find it. She promptly took a beautiful pearl ring off her linger, threw it into the barrel, sifted flour over it, and challenged us to find the valuable prize. I happened to be the fortunate one, but finding was not keeping in my case, as she explained that it was a ring she valued greatly, being one of the first ever given her by the Kaiser. The Princes, not having found anything themselves, began to weary of the game, and diverted themselves by smearing flour all over their faces and then rubbing their cheeks against ours. Then they took it into their heads to powder my hair, which they proceeded to do, being very generous with it, and besprinkling my whole person, till I cannot imagine what I ioo POTSDAM PRINCES must have looked like. Everyone was convulsed with laughter. I only know my black dress was com- pletely ruined, and another of the ladies afterwards told me hers was too. But that was nothing out of the way ; many and many were the pairs of white kid gloves (de rigueur in the Court) suddenly spoilt by wet flowers affectionately thrust into my hands by one or other of my boy charges. Another time they played with flour, dropping small objects into a basin of water, then sprinkling the flour thickly over the whole ; after which one had to fish for the objects as best one could. One got one's hands messy, but I never spoilt any clothes in this manner, I am glad to say. Prince Au-Wi made a little silver ring out of one of the strings of his zither, and the idea was that whoever was successful in fishing it out was to be the first one married. He himself was the one, but for the augury to have come true it should THE LIGHTER SIDE 101 have been the Crown Prince, who also joined us for a little while that evening. After this game they went down to see the Kaiserin, who was in bed, not being well. Prince Adalbert returned to me shortly afterwards, being very unhappy because his mother would not allow him to melt down his soldiers and manipulate the lead. She had said if one of the governors or tutors or any of the Kaiser's gentlemen was there, she would let him do it. In spite of their absence, he held his soldiers over the flame of the lamp, and I had to stop him. Then he sent a lackey for some spirit to assist his melting arrangements, but I would not allow that either. He was very disappointed and unhappy, but quite good over it, and I finaUy got him to turn his attention to a game of halma. Among indoor games, chess was first favourite, with Adalbert at any rate. Then came halma and draughts, but spillikins and puzzles were the choice of the younger boys. " Up Jenkins " was 102 POTSDAM PRINCES popular with all, and many dirty princely hands did I see extended on the table in the course of this game. Picnics played a great part in our amuse- ments. Often at Potsdam, if it were a fine day, the Kaiser would suddenly take it into his head to arrange an impromptu picnic for his guests. As a rule, the Princes and I did not go, as there were the afternoon studies to attend to. But sometimes we went, and enjoyed ourselves greatly. We sometimes went to " Pfauen Insel," or Peacock Island, which seemed to be speci- ally kept for picnics. We would first of all drive down to the quay and board the Kaiser's little river steamer " Alexandria." She was such a beautiful vesse], painted white, and kept spotless ; her brasswork gleaming in the sunshine like gold. Reaching the island, we would go straight to the little Schloss where Queen Louise of Prussia stayed for some time, it being a favourite resort of hers. I was told that it was on that island that the old Emperor William and the ' ti ^ . 51%, THE LITTLE PRINCESS AND HER BROTHER PRINCE JOACHIM THE LIGHTER SIDE 103 Empress Augusta took refuge before escap- ing to England during wars with France. I conscientiously noted this in my diary, as being of historical interest, but I have since found out that my informant's history was of a very sketchy character. I have nothing by me to look it up, so I record it with all due diffidence. The great attraction for the ladies was the examination and criticism of Queen Louise's curious-looking old bonnets stowed away in the cupboards upstairs. In other cupboards were to be found several old toys belonging to her children, and these were naturally more interesting to the Princes than the bonnets. We spent one Whit-Monday * there, that time it was previously arranged, and I remember we were provided with all kinds of amuse- ments, including swings and switchbacks and other diversions of a country fair. The Kaiser presented a bouquet of flowers to each lady, and only a short time ago I came across a spray of mine which I had pressed and treasured all these years. 104 POTSDAM PRINCES To me not the least interesting part of it was the visitors' book, started fifteen years previously, in which I was asked to inscribe my name. I took occasion to peep into it at the same time, and found many interesting and well-known auto- graphs there, among others that of King Edward (when Prince of Wales), the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, and many other notable Royalties. I used to enjoy these picnics immensely ; they entailed no work for me, but came as a pleasant and unexpected relaxation from my daily routine. But I could not help noting the enormous amount of labour which these seemingly simple affairs en- tailed upon those responsible for the smooth working of the arrangements. In ordinary life, far from gilded palaces, one pictures a well-filled basket and a tea- kettle as the essentials of a picnic, but in these Palace ones it was far otherwise. First of all, there were the carriages to take the guests to the steamer, which had to be all in readiness to receive the august THE LIGHTER SIDE 105 pleasure - seekers, then the commissariat, which naturally occasioned the most trouble of all. I could not but feel that the Kaiser's sudden desires for an im- promptu picnic though delightful enough for many must have been very distract- ing to those upon whom the sudden duty devolved. I have seen these picnic " neces- sities " under way, and can best compare them to a small house-moving. Birthdays, too, were red-letter days in the annals of the Princes' youth. Not only in youth, but right up to old age, are birthdays kept in Germany, as festive occasions warranting the most effusive congratulations to say nothing of gifts to mark the great fact of getting older every year. Life at the Court was plenti- fully interlarded with birthdays, there being seven children's to keep to begin with. But the celebrations in honour of these paled into insignificance with those of the Imperial couple. Of them more anon, I am concerned only with the children's pleasures just now. io6 POTSDAM PRINCES The Princess's fifth birthday on Sep- tember 13, 1897, I seem to remember best ; I suppose because on that day her nurse presented me with a bit of her flaxen hair as a peace-offering, and as I kept for many years the envelope with an inscrip- tion on it to that effect, it thus remained in my memory. Here is the extract from my diary : " To-day is the Princess's birthday. We had a big luncheon downstairs. The Kaiser merely shook hands with me, and is not like himself. He had a portrait of Queen Victoria brought down after luncheon, and he and Count Eulenburg looked at it. Then they joked over ' made in Germany.' Altogether I did not enjoy the luncheon. Count Moltke (a nephew of the great Moltke) played the piano, and the children danced ; but they never asked me to join them, as usual." Evidently on that birthday I was out of favour ! 1 think I was more appreciated the year previously, when the Princess was four years old. There was a big THE LIGHTER SIDE 107 children's party in the Marmor Palace (near Potsdam, where the Crown Prince was born), and the little Princess's special idea of entertainment for her small guests was to provide them with the choice strains of a barrel organ. One was specially chartered for the occasion, the lucky organ-grinder receiving twenty marks for the privilege of making an unholy noise, which, however, the children thought most delightful. In accordance with custom, there was also a luncheon given to all the Palace gardeners that day, the little Princess and her brother Joachim acting as host and hostess. The head gardener had to get up and make a speech of thanks, and I remember being quite sorry for him ; he was so ner- vous, it seemed as if he would never get through it. On another occasion the barrel organ came into requisition ; it was on the night of a big Court ball held in the Weisser-Saal, in Berlin. The Princes were most anxious io8 POTSDAM PRINCES to sit in one of the boxes and view the dancing, which they had been allowed to do on former occasions ; but their governors had come to the conclusion they were now too old for this, very much to their disappointment. After a quiet supper with them, they said they had a great favour to ask of me that they had discovered two of their lackeys were musicians, one playing the concertina and the other the barrel organ. Would I allow them the great treat of sending for those lackeys with their instruments, so that they might dance to the music ? Having given my consent, the men were called, and many dances ensued ; but I fain would have had some cotton wool to deaden the appalling noise. Prince Au-Wi's birthday also remains firmly fixed in my mind. It was the day before his august father's, and for that reason the boy sometimes came off rather badly, everyone being obsessed by the auspicious date and magnificent celebra- tions of the morrow. THE LIGHTER SIDE 109 One year, when the Kaiserin was not very well, she asked me to order some presents to be sent for her to choose from, and that year the poor little Prince had little fuss made on his birthday, no con- gratulations or anything, his august mamma not being well enough to do anything. An earlier year, though, I remember a luncheon of thirty-two people, followed by a visit to the circus. Crowds of people packed the streets all the way from the Schloss, cheering all the time. We were accommodated in a lovely box, specially fitted up and decorated for the Royal Family and those in attendance. The performance was too funny ; I had a giggling fit in the middle, and could hardly stop laughing. There were two nasty acci- dents, which rather gave one shudders ; but fortunately no one was hurt. When we got home, I was told I should not be "in service " that evening, as the Kaiserin would take supper with the Princes. I decided to go to the theatre with one of the ladies-in-waiting, and no i io POTSDAM PRINCES sooner had I begun an early supper than Prince Adalbert rushed in and said the Kaiserin was giving a ball that night and wanted me to come. I flew to ask the ladies what it all meant, and was told it was a private dance for the Princes. At an hour's notice everything had to be pre- pared. The ladies and gentlemen had all accepted invitations out ; but everyone had to forgo their engagements. A man was ordered to play the dance music, and we were told to wear what we liked. I cannot describe what an enjoyable dance it was. An invitation like that I felt to be a great compliment, as it was proof that I was trusted and that they knew I would never talk. There was no one there but the Court ladies and gentle- men. None of the teachers was asked, and only one governor. It was as free as air, and the dresses were too absurd. One Princess's lady was in Court dress, very decolletee, and the Princess her- self in a demi-semi-toilette ; two of our ladies in high cloth tailor-mades; the THE LIGHTER SIDE in Kaiserin in a high supper dress. I wore a high dress terribly crumpled and old. Herr von Rauch, one of the Princes' governors, was in full uniform with his orders. The Duke of Schleswig-Holstein in half-dress uniform. Prince Oscar with his face blacked, and a bath towel wound round him to represent a Turk. Prince Au-Wi was stuffed out with pillows to make him look fat. The two eldest were in school clothes, and Prince Adalbert wore naval uniform. We had Lancers, everyone dancing ; no etiquette, it was delightful. Refreshments seemed to consist chiefly of tea and gingerbread. Between-whiles numerous telegrams were received and sent. As the lackeys appeared all Court etiquette returned, and we made our bows to the Kaiserin as usual. It was too funny in the midst of it all. The whole thing was so free and easy that I think I enjoyed myself more that night than any other time I remember during my three years in Germany. CHAPTER V MY RELATIONS WITH THE KAISER IN stern contrast to the delightful in- formality and lack of ceremony of Prince Au-Wi's birthday dance was the Kaiser's own evening reception on the following day. Well indeed do I remember it, for that was the first occasion on which I was formally presented to him, some few weeks after my arrival. It was a very busy day for me, as, being the only Englishwoman in the Court, I had to present bouquets of flowers to each lady, together with my congratulations, and also I had to give a bouquet to each of the Princes. This anniversary was, of course, the crown of birthdays of the whole year ; a very busy day for all of us, and especially so for the Kaiser himself. THE KAISER 113 As early as 9 a.m. I had to send down my flowers and congratulations, and very soon afterwards the Countess von Bassewitz came up to thank me and to congratulate me on our Queen's approaching Jubilee. Half the morning they spent congratu- lating each other on the birthday honours which they had received. We shook hands all round and wished the Kaiser " many happy returns of the day." Having but recently arrived at the Court, I held aloof and felt rather out of it, as everyone seemed to know the Emperor so well ; it was not until later in the day that I was formally presented. Then I went up to dress for going to chapel with all the Royalties, Princes, and Princesses, and the whole of the Court entourage. My place was right up in the gallery. It meant climbing literally hundreds of steps. The crush was terrible, and when I got there it was so appallingly hot that I turned quite giddy when I looked down, and felt if I stayed another minute I n 4 POTSDAM PRINCES should faint, so I slipped away and did not wait for the service. Fortunately no one noticed my disappearance. Nothing very much happened in the afternoon, at least as far as I knew ; but having received my first formal invitation to dine that night with the Imperial couple, I was very much concerned with my toilet for the auspicious occasion. I had intended wearing my one dress with a Court train. The colour was eau-de-nil, and it was the best and richest frock I had. To my dismay, I suddenly found out that the Kaiserin had selected a dress of that particular shade to wear at the dinner, and it would be against Court etiquette for me to wear a frock of the same colour. I was in despair, but by superhuman efforts managed to get another dress suitably altered for the occasion. What a lot I learnt on that day ! I knew nothing of presentations or of Court formality then, and was very apprehensive as to whether I should acquit myself with THE KAISER 115 dignity and commit no solecisms. The ladies assured me I need not be nervous, there was nothing to be afraid of, and they would tell me what to do ; but that I must be certain to be down early in the ante- room. There was little fear of my not obeying this injunction ; I began to dress at least one hour too soon, and was ready long before the appointed time. To get to the ante-room I had to go down a very broad stone staircase, carpeted with red. It was used mainly for State occasions, and I had not previously been down it, so I had to ask my way from the various footmen and lackeys, whose blaze of gold and silver uniforms quite dazzled me for the moment. In some fear and trepidation I entered the apartment, only to find that I was the first arrival, there being no one there but myself. Later I was told that it was quite correct for me to arrive first, being the least im- portant of the ladies present. u6 POTSDAM PRINCES Mercifully I was not left long alone, the other ladies soon following, among them my good friend the Countess von Bassewitz. Each lady seemed to time her arrival in accordance with her status in the Court, the Mistress of the Robes coming in almost last ; and if ever a leech stuck tightly, it was myself to those ladies that night. The room soon began to fill with guests, and again I felt dazzled by the gorgeous uniforms and beautiful dresses, to say nothing of the scintillating jewels on every side. I was introduced to various people, but I was far too dazed to take in their identity. Soon a buzz of conversation filled the hall, the guttural German tongue sounding somehow much louder than English would on such an occasion. Suddenly there was a hush, and I looked up, to see the immense folding doors flung wide open and all present forming them- selves into a circle to receive Their Majesties. As they entered, every one present made a marvellous bow, something between a curtsy and a dignified inclination of the THE KAISER 117 head ; I cannot explain how it was done. I copied it as best I could, but it must have been all too evident that I was not trained in such deportment. Well do I remember that first sight of the Kaiser and Kaiserin entering the hall together, he arrayed in gorgeous uniform with countless orders sparkling on his breast ; she, one blaze of diamonds, wear- ing the eau-de-nil dress that was the cause of so much heartburning to me that after- noon. Hers was embroidered with tiny silver beads, and the iridescent effect of these was beautiful, like sunlight on the sea when it takes on that peculiar green shade to which the Nile waters give their name. They walked round the circle, stopping to speak to each person. As they ap- proached nearer and nearer, I began to feel more and more nervous ; my knees trembled, and when I realized that I would have to make two more bows, one to each, I thought they would give way under me. At last the awful moment arrived. The n8 POTSDAM PRINCES Kaiserin came first, for which I was thankful ; I had already seen something of her, and did not mind her so much. I managed to kiss her hand and get through my curtsy, after which I found the Kaiser right in front of me, and I was being pre- sented to him by the Mistress of the Robes. Recovering from my further bowing effort, I found to my relief that he was not so terrible as I had feared. He was really very kind to me, and put me quite at my ease. He chatted gaily of his boyhood and of a certain visit to his grandmother, Queen Victoria, saying how much he had en- joyed it. " Yes/' he said, " my grandmamma had great ideas on the healthy schoolboy's thick bread and limited butter." He was not quite so good-looking as his photograph, but, to give him his due, he really impressed me then as an extremely handsome man. Still in his thirties, his figure was upright and not too stout ; and he seemed to me the embodiment of energy and vigour. He spoke excellent English, THE KAISER 119 though his voice sounded a little harsh, despite its ring of kindness. His keen blue eyes had an extraordinary sense of penetration in them they seemed to look one through and through. His left hand, about which so much has been written, is certainly smaller than the other and does not look quite normal. It is, however, not particularly noticeable, because the Kaiser refrains from using it unless obliged to do so. He is very fond of rings, and almost each finger is adorned by them this is a custom which I could never get used to. The stones of his rings are of wonderful brilliance, and some of great size. Here I might mention the strength he puts into his handshake, which is certainly most painful to the recipient. I have really suffered agonies through my rings being crushed into my flesh by his terrible grip. The dinner that night was a very elabor- ate affair. I remember I had a long talk with one of the Kaiser's aides-de-camp. 120 POTSDAM PRINCES Incidentally he touched on the unfriendly feelings of England towards Germany, but I remembered my father's excellent advice never to let myself be drawn into any political talk, so I pretended that I knew nothing about it. " Then/' said he, " do you, my dear young lady, know nothing of politics ? " " English ladies are not interested in politics," I replied sweepingly. (Suffra- gettes in those days were few and far between.) " I beg your pardon," he retorted, " I get more letters on politics from English ladies than from men." " I fear, then, that I must plead ignor- ance," said I, and there the matter ended. There was generally a grand gala per- formance at the opera, to celebrate the Imperial birthday, but this I will describe elsewhere. So much has been written about the Kaiser that I feel a little diffident of adding my small quota to the innumerable volumes on his personality, to be found in the THE KAISER 121 libraries of every land to-day. But his is the central figure of Germany, nay, of Europe, and in his own opinion of the world ; and did I omit him from my story, it would indeed be incomplete. That he is a brilliant and forceful per- sonality no one who has ever come in contact with him can for a moment doubt. Had he not been born to his Imperial destiny he yet would have achieved fame as a leader of men by his extraordinary power of moulding them to his will. Erratic, domineering, even puerile at times, yet his people love him and respect him. That is to say, half of them do the other half hate him ; but they all do what he tells them. To the greatest sacrifice and to the smallest detail of their daily lives they let him order them as he will. Fond of a joke, seeing humour when others felt only humiliation, he would throw back his head and laugh heartily at the slightest thing. A brilliant conversationalist, his stories were always excellent, and free from that fault of so many raconteurs, repetition 122 POTSDAM PRINCES till one knows their anecdotes by heart. I do not even remember his telling the same tale twice. He had an excellent memory, very useful for Royalties ; I suppose they take special care to develop them. Once he asked me for news of my friend who had been gover- ness to the Kaiserin, and I told him she was living in Buckinghamshire. That day he went away for six weeks, and the first time I saw him on his return he referred to all the details of this conversation as being the last thing I had said to him. Another time, when we were staying at the little Schloss of Urville, some few miles from Metz, a tiny little place compared with the other palaces, he asked me how I liked it, and I replied that it was a charming little doll's house. More than a year afterwards, he somewhat startled me at luncheon by asking if I would like to visit his doll's house again. I had forgotten my remark about Schloss Urville, but he had not. My relations with him were, I must say, THE KAISER 123 of a most friendly nature ; he really was extremely kind to me. He used to talk much of England with me, and was always ready to put me at my ease, though when he was in a teasing mood, I was occasionally marked out as the laughing-stock of the Court. It was chiefly due to my bad German. I remember one day, at luncheon, I found myself on the Kaiser's left, an honour which had never before been ac- corded me. Suddenly he took away my soup spoon. " Now is your chance to speak German, Miss Howard. Ask for a spoon," he said. Turning to the lackey behind my chair, I ordered him to bring me " einen grossen Teufel," instead of " einen grossen Loffel," the word for spoon. Roars of laughter greeted this, foremost among them being the Kaiser's own. I had asked for "a big devil " to be brought to me instead of a big spoon ! Two days later I received a paragraph from a German newspaper to the effect that the modern English girl was a very 124 POTSDAM PRINCES go-ahead young person, and that one of them, when accorded the honour of sitting next to the Kaiser himself, had had the temerity to call her spoon a devil ! Another time when my German led me astray I was walking along in the grounds of the Palace, and met one of the governors, who proposed going on the lake. There was a bad storm brewing, and I laughingly said to him in German, " If you go you will be drowned " ; but in my still limited vocabulary I used the word " betrunken " for " drowned," instead of the correct word, which is " ertrunken." I was not made to realize my mistake then, but that day at luncheon, the Kaiser called me to him, and said, teasingly, " What do you mean by accusing one of my officers of drinking ? " I did not understand what he meant, but, to the intense amusement of everyone present, it was carefully explained to me that I had used the word meaning " intoxicated "in- stead of the word for " drowned " ! My natural short-sightedness, as well as THE KAISER 125 my insufficient German, was the cause of many pitfalls. I found myself occasionally bowing to one of the Kaiser's gentlemen, mistaking him for the Emperor himself, and on one awful occasion I publicly insulted the Kaiser by failing to make my bow, as I did not recognize him. It was during my first year, and I had received orders to be in attendance, driving alone behind the Kaiserin, who was taking the youngest children, Prince Joachim and the little Princess, to see the manoeuvres at Potsdam. This command to be in attendance was contrary to my usual duties, which were supposed to be entirely with the Princes. Everything was still rather new and strange to me, and I was so terribly afraid of letting my sense of humour assert itself when on duty, that I habitually preserved a most solemn demeanour ; so much so that one of the officers in attendance had chaffingly declared that he would make me laugh while " im Dienst " (in service), 126 POTSDAM PRINCES which would, of course, have been strictly against etiquette. I thought of this while driving along behind the Empress through the crowded streets of Potsdam, and, when we were still some little way off the Palace gates, I saw three officers ride forward and greet the Kaiserin. On leaving her, to my intense astonishment, they came on to my carriage, and one of them said, " Good morning, Miss Howard." I am naturally short-sighted, and at once concluded that this must be the officer who had resolved to make me laugh in service. Without, therefore, looking his way, in case he was trying by some means or other to make me succumb as he had foretold, I gave him an abrupt " Good morning," and proceeded on my way. On arrival at the Palace, the Mistress of the Robes and the other ladies-in-waiting were all ranged up in a row to receive the Kaiserin. No sooner was this over than the Mistress of the Robes sent for me, and told me that I might consider myself in disgrace, that THE KAISER 127 the Kaiser was furious, and that I had publicly insulted him. Then only did I learn, to my horror, the magnitude of my mistake. It was the Kaiser himself who had graciously wished me " Good morning " on the way, and, instead of bowing and replying as etiquette demanded, I had behaved in the rudest manner possible, and that publicly. I at once wrote a humble apology, explaining my unfortun- ate short-sightedness. I am glad to say I heard no more of the incident, with the exception of a command to carry lorg- nettes on all State occasions in future. This was a great concession, as it was contrary to etiquette to look at Royalty through any kind of glasses. Once during the autumn of my first year I found myself given a holiday the whole Royal Family was going out. Delighted with my unexpected freedom, I immedi- ately made up my mind to go for a long country walk. As I have previously explained, I was not allowed to wear a coat and skirt or a 128 POTSDAM PRINCES sailor hat, it being considered that I looked too young in such attire. But being my own mistress for once, I put on the oldest coat and skirt I had, together with my dear old sailor hat, and joy of joys I thought I would dispense with gloves, the constant wearing of which I found most irksome. However, at the last moment, my con- science smote me, as I thought how the Kaiserin would disapprove of my getting rough and red hands. Suddenly an idea occurred to me I would chop off the fingers, and thereby get a certain amount of freedom. It was a beautiful autumn day, and I started off in a very happy mood, feeling absolutely free, and even singing out of pure joy of life. Going down a broad path, I saw three officers in the distance, coming towards me. As they drew nearer, I did this time manage to recognize the Kaiser the last person I wanted to meet in my old clothes. He stopped and spoke to me in his usual friendly manner, and held out THE KAISER 129 his hand as he said " Good morning." I had carefully kept mine behind my back, and, as I was hesitating as to whether I should keep them there, he said, "Aren't you going to shake hands with me this morning ? ' ' " Your Majesty," I stammered out, " I have no fingers to my gloves." ' What do you mean ? " he said, naturally not understanding what on earth I could mean. In consternation, I held out both hands towards him, and roars of laughter fol- lowed. It seemed to me that he was less of a stickler for etiquette than the Kaiserin. I think she would have been really shocked at such an incident, while he only took it as a joke. Another small contretemps, which occurred during luncheon one day, and which greatly amused the Kaiser, was this. I had dressed in a great hurry, and had forgotten to put on my rings. Noticing that I had left them on my dressing- 9 130 POTSDAM PRINCES table, my housemaid took them down to my lackey, who stupidly placed them in- side my serviette. Upon opening it, out flew my rings across the table, one of them landing on the Kaiser's plate. He threw back his head and laughed. " Hullo, Miss Howard," he exclaimed. " Shot at a pigeon, and killed a crow eh?" His laughter was really very infectious ; he seemed to thoroughly enjoy a joke, and, though he put one quite at one's ease after a little incident such as the above, yet one had the feeling that he rather revelled in one's discomfiture, or perhaps I should say that he appeared to be grateful to one for providing a diversion from the stiffness of Court life. He had an odd way of suddenly be- coming very stern and withering people up. Often in the middle of talking and laughing quite gaily, he would whirl round and address one particular individual, riveting his eyes on the unfortunate victim of his displeasure, though the scorn THE KAISER 131 implied by his fierce gaze was not expressed in so many words. Often again at meals, when talking to no one in particular, I noticed his laughing blue eyes suddenly grow hard, while he fixed a keen side glance on some unfortunate person who had un- wittingly incurred his Royal censure. The only time I ever really got into serious trouble with him was on a question of English grammar. Prince Adalbert had to pass an examination to get into the Navy, and his English was a source of much trouble to both teacher and taught. Many tedious hours did we spend over the intricacies of English spelling and pronunciation. Sometimes the governors said I gave him too much preparation ; sometimes they would declare that I did not give him enough. We both had to work hard at it, as I felt, if we did not, he would never get through his examination. He would spell the simple phrase " she does " as " che dus," and I remember a tremendous argument, not to say a heated controversy, over the use of the subjunctive. 132 POTSDAM PRINCES I had corrected his " if I was " to " if I were," and this he could not see the sense of. However, I maintained that, even if he could not see the necessity for doing as I told him, he must submit for obedience' sake, which he finally did. After this tussle with him, I did not think to hear any more of the incident, and I was therefore rather disgusted to get a message from the Kaiser that the phrase in question had been repeated to him, and he disapproved of Prince Adalbert's being taught ungrammatical English. I offered to prove the accuracy of my teach- ing by Morris's English grammar ; but the Kaiser replied that he ought to know what was correct and what was not, as his Grandmother was English ! All that I had heard about him seemed to me more or less true. His idea of women was well known, even at that time, and every lady in the Palace pre- tended to have no other interests in life beyond the three k's, " Kiiche, Kirche, und Kinder " (kitchen, church, and children), THE KAISER 133 which represented his view of woman's only sphere. I found it quite true that he took an inordinate interest in Her Majesty's dresses, often helping her in her choice, and every year, on the occasion of her birthday, presenting her with a dozen hats. That he suffered from a certain Wander- lust was very evident. He seemed to be always travelling, always away on some expedition or other ; though, during the three years of my service, he did not leave the Fatherland very often. He possessed about forty palaces, and would constantly move about from one to the other, sometimes alone with a small retinue, sometimes accompanied by the whole Court. I remember on one occasion, during these journeys, we were looking out of the window of the Royal train while passing through flat country with many green fields. He asked me to notice the fact that they were unblemished by advertise- ments as in England ; that no " Little 134 POTSDAM PRINCES Liver Pills," or their German equivalent, arose to mar the beauty of the country that we passed through. " I don't allow my fields to be spoilt in that way," he said, " but in England you do not seem to mind at all." Travelling again through Germany, little more than a year ago, I was very much struck by the advertisements to be seen from the train, proving a commercial de- velopment of Germany with which the Kaiser has apparently thought it inadvis- able to interfere. When he returned from one of his in- numerable journeys we would often go to the station to meet him the Kaiserin and all the children that happened to be at home. I remember once he had been on a hunting expedition, and the six Princes and the little Princess stood in single file on the platform and saluted as the train came in. He stepped out of it, wearing his Jdger or hunting uniform. It was a very pretty and artistic shade of green, and became him well. The Imperial THE KAISER 135 couple embraced each other, and then he gave each of his seven children a kiss, and they all drove back to the Palace. His little daughter was his favourite child ; with his sons he was somewhat stern, though I have seen him unbend and behave with them like a schoolboy at times. He seemed to me a wonderful personality, though complex and difficult to understand. Impulsive to a degree, he nevertheless would have very good reasons to explain his actions. I may be maligning him, but somehow I got the impression that what- ever course he happened to want to pursue, he invariably described it as his duty. He seemed to me to want to justify his actions to his own conscience, if he pos- sessed such a thing. At the time I honestly thought he did, and I must say his behaviour to me was such as to make me really have a regard for him then. Though he was always very kind to me, he never gave me any reason to believe that he particularly appreciated my work, i 3 6 POTSDAM PRINCES and it was therefore a pleasant surprise to me in later years, when called to Japan to educate some young Princes, to be told that the Kaiser had sent a long telegram congratulating them on having secured my services as English governess. And this incident brings to my mind the fact that while I was in Berlin the Kaiser had a very strong feeling against all Jews, and none were admitted to Court. So strictly was this enforced that on one occasion when a friend, whose father was a Jew, suggested coming to see me, I had to write and refuse. Evidently this antipathy must have con- siderably decreased, for on my first journey to Japan one of my fellow-passengers was Herr Ballin, the head of the American- Hamburg line. It happened that the Kaiserin, in her kindness, had telegraphed to the captain of this German liner " Kiaouchou " commanding him to take special care of me on the voyage, the result being that I was somewhat feted. Herr Ballin was most kind to me, and promised THE KAISER 137 me at the time that should home-sickness overpower me he would manage to get me a free passage back. I noticed then how much in favour he was with the Kaiser, and being a Jew, it struck me that changes had taken place in this direction. CHAPTER VI THE KAISERIN OF the German Emperor's gracious consort I have many happy recol- lections. She was really very kind to me, particularly so at the beginning of my service, and again at the end. In the middle period of my time in Germany, in the year 1897, things seemed to go rather badly for me. She ceased writing and telegraphing to me as was her wont when away from the Princes, and would give all her orders about the children through their governors or Mrs. M , the English head nurse before mentioned. Perhaps I had done something to incur this treatment, but after the extremely kind and friendly letters she was in the habit of writing me, I confess I felt some- 138 THE KAISERIN 139 what hurt that she should give her orders through others. I had gone there expecting to find her something of a nonentity, thinking that her personality would be overshadowed by that of His Majesty, and that she would be a woman with no broader ideas than those laid down for her by the Kaiser's three k's, " Kiiche, Kirche, and Kinder " (kitchen, church, and children), which I mentioned in my last chapter. I soon found that I was mistaken. Although she played second fiddle, she seemed to do it from the point of view of diplomacy, and very successful diplomacy it was. She was always deferential to his opinions, except when they clashed with her maternal solicitude ; and then she managed to get her own way without fuss. She was always ready to do whatever he wished, ride with him when he asked her, go wherever he pleased and was altogether an excellent wife. Extremely dignified, she ever bore herself in a manner worthy of an Empress, and 140 POTSDAM PRINCES befitting her position as such. Yet she was not patronizing : she was kindness itself, but I somehow never felt quite so much at my ease with her as with the Kaiser. Perhaps my early impressions, taken from my diary, best describe this feel- ing : " At present I am shy with the Empress. She is very charming, but I feel I shall never advance with her never get to know her well, as my predecessor seems to have done." In later days I certainly did get to know her well, in that we discussed things to- gether very frankly, but I was never absolutely at my ease with her. The greatest thing about her was her intense mother-love. Whenever she had a spare moment whenever she could make the time she would always be with her children. With her boys she had a tremendous influence, THE KAISERIN 141 and it was she who was personally responsible for their moral and religious teaching. Oftentimes, when she had had but little chance of seeing them during the day, she would send for them when dressing for dinner in the evening, and I would go down with them. There she stood, being arrayed in her beautiful clothes, and having jewellery put on as she spoke ; talking to her children simply and naturally like any ordinary mother, asking them about their lessons, and whether they had done them well ; quite oblivious to anything but her boys and their immediate interests. Her letters to me all breathed the spirit of motherliness. Perhaps they are the truest index to her character that I can give, so I will quote one, written from Homburg- vor-der-H6he, whither she had gone for rest and change to recuperate after her ill- health the previous winter. Written in English, on note-paper em- bossed in gold with the Royal crown and monogram, her pencilled note in hand- 142 POTSDAM PRINCES writing not unlike Queen Alexandra's runs thus : " HOMBURG, March 31, 1898 " MY DEAR Miss HOWARD, Many thanks for your letter just received. I was so glad to hear some particulars about the children. I am very glad they had no more lessons to do after tea. My poor little Oscar, he is really an affectionate little man ! To think that in spite of his ambitions he would prefer to remain in a lower class so as to have me a little more ! " I am most terribly put out that Dr. Zuncker persuaded the Emperor not to let the poor children come here after Easter. It is such a pity, for had I known before I would not have told them they might come : this is worse now. However, they must only be told after the examination, or I am sure it would have a bad effect on the lessons. "This place is quite charming, the air so bracing, the quiet such a blessing. I feel quite different, even this short time. I am quite sure it would be very good for the children. It is quite little, a village, no people, only ruddy-faced little children THE KAISERIN 143 running about. I know it would be just the thing for Joachim and Sissy. However, I hope to get the two little ones at least here after Easter. I know you and Herr v. G. will do all to make the boys happy ; perhaps it is more wise for me to have complete rest. But I know you understand my feelings. ' The Emperor had a cold, but it is almost over ; he was out walking again to-day. I hope the food is all right for the children, otherwise do send down or tell Herr v. G. " Love to the children. I wrote to the three boys to-day. I am so glad you stayed with them, especially now, as I cannot be with them. Yours sincerely, "VICTORIA, I.R." Here is another, written a week or so later, also from the Schloss at Homburg- vor-der-H6he : " April 8, 1898 " MY DEAR Miss HOWARD, Many thanks for several letters. You know how glad I am to get all particulars, even the smallest, about the children. Poor little Oscar, I am so glad his cold has gone off. 144 POTSDAM PRINCES He always suffers so patiently. I wish you had the fine weather we have here. It is quite like summer ; we had tea out on the hills. I do wish the children were here I can hardly enjoy the fine days, thinking how much good it would do them. But the Emperor will have me rest and keep quiet. I suppose it is good, but sometimes a trial when one thinks of the children. " I am so glad you are with the boys a good deal. About the nursery, I wrote to Herr v. G. and also to Oscar. But it seems they are all under the impression of colds in the nursery and that Oscar got his there, although it seems to me that the tour to Tegel was more a place for getting it. I am so glad to have my two eldest boys ; they are with us, the Emperor and myself, or with me all day long. " Please give my love to all the children, also in the nursery, and tell them I was so glad to hear the dear little voices at the telephone. I know you do not mind giving up your Easter holidays because of the children, for it is a comfort for me to know you are with the boys. Yours sincerely, "V., I.R." THE KAISERIN 145 I kept these and a few^other letters for many years ; they are before me as I write, and I have faithfully copied every word just as it is written. But though it may be only natural for a mother to love her children, and detractors of the German Empress may possibly seize on my description of her mother love as but a poor defence of her character, yet I maintain that few mothers especially Royal ones have shown this trait in so marked a degree. She was not blind withal to the claims of others, which indeed, quite apart from her maternal duties, were sufficient to absorb all her time and atten- tion. In her charities she was extremely generous, and often those whose allotted task it was to help her administer them had to place a restraining hand on her muni- ficent ideas of giving to the poor and needy. She read all letters addressed to her personally, even ah 1 begging letters, at least in those days, and answered most of them herself. It was of course im- 10 146 POTSDAM PRINCES possible for her to personally indite a response to every appeal she received, but no letter was addressed to her without its being replied to either by herself or one of her secretaries and the latter were not allowed to send the reply on their own initiative either. Among her most treasured rings, she prizes those in which she has had set the first teeth of each of her children. One of these rings has three teeth those of the eldest boy, the Crown Prince, who was considered to most resemble her in character in his early youth at any rate. Per- sonally, the only similarity I ever saw between them was his timidity and his deference to his father. This, however, he lost as he grew older. Curiously enough, these baby teeth, set in rings, had the appearance of small pearls. Whenever the boys' hair was cut and the coming of the Court hairdresser was somewhat of an event the clippings from each child's hair were carefully treasured by their mother. She did not keep all THE KAISERIN 147 the hair that came off each boy ; she graciously allowed some of it to be given to other worthy recipients. It used to be put into envelopes, duly labelled, and would be given to the boys themselves ; who would, in their turn, gracefully confer gifts of their hair on whomsoever they thought fit. I myself was judged a worthy recipient of these hirsute tokens of regard, which I have kept to this day. Of course I was warned to be very careful of what I said in my letters home about the Princes, as such extraordinary reports got about. One or two of the children were supposed, in popular parlance, to be deaf and dumb, but this was far from being the case ; a healthier family I have seldom met. Of course they suffered from the usual children's ailments, of measles, chicken-pox, and the like. These small illnesses were not generally made public, as their announce- ment would cause such a flood of letters, telegrams, inquiries of all kinds, and, later, congratulations on recovery, as would 148 POTSDAM PRINCES necessitate the employment of an extra secretary to deal with them, to say nothing of the amount of the Kaiserin's own time which they took up, and which she preferred to spend nursing her children herself as far as possible. Prince Fritz was once thrown from his horse, and got his foot crushed, being laid up for three weeks. The fiat went forth that nothing was to be said about this in the Press, but nevertheless an account appeared in an English newspaper, and the Kaiserin immediately asked me whether I had mentioned it in any of my letters home. I was glad to be able to truthfully answer in the negative. When any of the children were ill they were nursed in the Palace, and she invari- ably managed to find time to be with them a good deal. It was really wonderful how she managed to fit in all she had to do, what with State functions, Court cere- monies, visiting hospitals and homes for children ; not to speak of church-going, which occupied a great portion of her time. THE KAISERIN 149 She was a great advocate of Protestant- ism, and although she has been attacked as adhering to its tenets in a narrow and unenlightened manner, to my mind she seemed to look on other creeds and forms of Christianity with a broad and kindly tolerance. There was a certain Pastor Dryander, in my day chaplain to the Imperial Family, and who, I believe, still holds the same position. Introduced by the Countess von Waldersee, he it was who managed to imbue the Empress with her idea of keeping the purity of Evangelicalism. I shall not easily forget seeing her gather her five boys round her as she told them one night of the death of a young sailor friend of theirs, reading his mother's letter the while. On the previous Sunday the young sailor had listened to a sermon of Pastor Dryander's, of which the text was, " The sea is the Lord's, and all that therein is." I saw her brush away a tear as she told her boys that the sea had taken their i5o POTSDAM PRINCES young friend, to yield him to the Lord when she gave up her dead. The young Princes usually accompanied their parents to church to hear this Pastor Dryander and other notable preachers. I too enjoyed his sermons, but it was really much more like home to me when I went to the English church and heard the chaplain preach in my own tongue. One morning the Kaiserin asked me to drive alone to some particular place and fetch back one of the Princes. Unfortun- ately, I could not exactly remember the German name she said. I thought she had told me to fetch the Prince at some place called Kuchen. Entering my carriage, therefore, the only order I could give the footman was " Kuchen." There seemed a certain amount of hesitation and dis- cussion between him and the coachman ; but finally we drove off, and the carriage came to a standstill before a cake-shop. Nothing I could say in my limited German could enlighten the coachman, and at last, in despair, I was driven back to the THE KAISERIN 151 Palace, not having met the Prince, and, what was worse, with a semblance of having disobeyed the Imperial command. Then I discovered that the word she had said was "Kirche" (church), and I was very annoyed with myself for not having sooner grasped the fact that they would be much more likely to have gone to church than to a confectioner's. The Kaiserin always showed great solicitude for the feelings of others, and was most sympathetic to nervousness in fact, to suffering of any kind. I remember one day a poor child had to present a bouquet to her on arrival at a railway station. It was a bitterly cold day ; the child wore a thin muslin frock, and had probably been waiting, expectant, for hours, getting more and more nervous as the arrival of the Imperial couple ap- proached. Her teeth chattered as she presented the bouquet, and suddenly, when the Empress gave her hand to be kissed, the unfortunate girl was violently sick all over it. It passed in a moment ; but trie 152 POTSDAM PRINCES enormity of the thing she had done over- came the poor child, and she burst out crying. Then the Kaiserin's great woman- liness and tenderness came out. Gently she patted the child's head and comforted her, saying that it was quite all right, and it did not matter in the least. The little girl finally went away quite delighted with the notice taken of her. I must say that I admired the Empress's bearing in this somewhat unpleasant experience. On one occasion I recall her returning from laying a foundation-stone, which had accidentally been let down on her toe, and she had said nothing rather than get anyone into trouble in fact, no one knew of it until her return ; but I believe the injury resulted in the nail coming off. She herself had no easy time, the eti- quette of State functions compelling her to very often remain standing for as many as five hours at a stretch. I remember once confiding to her how tired this constant standing made me. " One has to be specially trained for it ; THE KAISERIN 153 it takes time, but it comes. Look at me, I am like a horse. I can rest better stand- ing than sitting," was her reply. As I think I have mentioned before, she struck me as rather a stickler for etiquette ; she seemed to think it necessary to uphold the dignity of the Court on every occa- sion where grown-ups only were present, though she often relaxed it when her boys flocked round her, and grown-ups were few and far between. Her dresses were marvellous, and I used to amuse myself by guessing which delicate confection she would appear in next. She would criticize one's own clothes, too. I had bought a very expensive hat, and I never dared to wear it more than once, as the criticism on it was that it made me look too young. She bore in mind that I was often alone with the Princes' governors, and that my position demanded a dignity which youth alone could not achieve. Unluckily, I was taken for twenty one day indeed, I was but little more 154 POTSDAM PRINCES and was ordered to wear more matronly hats in consequence. She was very severe sometimes over clothes. Once, in Bavaria, I had fairly high heels to my shoes, and she was really disagreeable over them, and said she had never heard of such a thing as coming to a mountain resort without flat heels. Then I had no mackintosh that, too, was a crime. I have rarely seen her so upset as on the occasion when moths got into her furs. She was really annoyed, and severely blamed the carelessness of the responsible person. They certainly were beautiful furs, and had they been mine I should have been just as cross to have had them spoilt in fact more so, as not being an Empress I should never have had a chance of re- placing them. An energetic and active woman, she would be in the saddle for hours at a time, and then dance in the evening. When we had that famous informal THE KAISERIN 155 birthday ball for Prince Au-Wi, she danced a lot, and I had a waltz with her myself ; after which we got on the subject of bows and curtsies, and she teased me about mine being always crooked. She started showing me then and there how to do it, and the whole company began bowing and scraping, herself included. Why I never adopted the stately English curtsy I do not know, but from the very start I invariably copied the German ladies-in-waiting. Their manner of doing it was very different from a curtsy, and the Empress showed me an exercise which I must practise every morning in order to overcome my stiffness and my crookedness, and so make my bow a thing of grace and beauty. I am sure I never achieved this, nor I think did many of the others, from what I saw ; but I religiously practised my exercise every morning, as the Kaiserin had taken the trouble to teach me it herself. This personal note was strongly char- 156 POTSDAM PRINCES acteristic. It was the same with every- body and everything ; she must have been a believer in the maxim, " If you want a thing well done, do it yourself." It was not that she did not trust other people ; I think she was partly inspired by kindliness, partly by the fact that if she wanted anything done, by personally supervising it she knew just how it was done. In my early days at the Court I was, of course, obliged to study German, as my knowledge of that language was very meagre when I arrived ; I was fortunate in getting the help of a most delightful teacher, whose people were formerly in the Court. This lady and her sister, an invalid, lived together in very straitened circumstances. They did all their own housework, and managed to earn a small amount by constant application to needle- work. The Empress took a great interest in their case, and whenever there was need she supplied little dainties for the invalid. On one occasion when I was given twenty THE KAISERIN 157 marks from the Empress for some little piece of needlework done by my lady teacher for Her Majesty, the sisters were beside themselves with joy and excitement. Her Majesty was also much interested in a Home for girls of bad character, which existed near Potsdam. The house had been taken by a lady who had meant to start with only one or two girls, but gradually the number increased to twenty- four, as they could not refuse any girl ad- mittance. The Empress had given sheets, pillows, and chemises, to take with us as gifts most necessary articles, as the girls possessed no underclothes, and but few toilet necessities. The Sister of the Home told of its utter poverty ; I tasted the soup which comprised their dinner. We went into the room where they were studying ; it was piteous to see the look of sadness on their faces. The little Sister was very bright and hopeful over it all, saying, " We must never consider a soul lost." The Kaiserin took a very real interest in 158 POTSDAM PRINCES her charities, and as the consort of a despotic monarch she had much more say in their management than would be possible with most Royalties. Even in those days half her time was spent visiting hospitals, especially children's, and I have no doubt her whole time is spent that way now, though she probably has to forgo children's beds of suffering for those of the Father- land's warriors, broken in the terrible carnage of modern warfare. Though in many ways I found her hard, she was really tender-hearted and extremely sympathetic towards suffering. I can imagine her torn with distress at Europe's strife and agony to-day, and, blame Germany though one may, I for one cannot forget that this war was none of the Empress's own making. CHAPTER VII INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE I HAVE already mentioned the great part played by birthdays in the life of the Court, but those of the Imperial couple and their children were not by any means all that were kept. The Germans have a tremendous love of anniversaries, and it is shown by their having tried to plan a great victory to take place on September 2, 1914, which they could com- memorate as a second Sedan. Again they made desperate endeavours all along their front to do something worthy of January 27, 1915, the Kaiser's fifty- sixth birthday. Both efforts, fortunately for the Allies, met with no success. At the Court in those days it was always someone's birthday or someone's death- day, and both had to be celebrated with 159 160 POTSDAM PRINCES all due jollity or solemnity, as the occasion might require. It was certainly one way of learning German history and the dates on which the various kings and emperors were born and died. Mercifully, however, they did not keep the death-days (rather lugubrious events) more than for about three generations back, unless the noble dead thus honoured had been very great heroes. But to me, a foreigner, it was no small difficulty to keep count of all these numerous anniversaries, and during my early days at the Court, I would always be behindhand with my preparations and gifts of bouquets and flowers to the various people concerned as regards the birthdays, or the wreaths to place round the statues on the death- days. Christmas was, of course, the greatest festive occasion of the year, involving months of preparation, so much so that I must give a whole chapter to its descrip- tion. Palm Sunday, just a week before Easter INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 161 Day, was by no means forgotten, and the Princes and ladies would give me sprigs of palm, which compliment I would have to return. This custom they kept up for years after I left Germany, posting me the sprigs. Easter, like Christmas, received far more observance than it did in England. It was the occasion of a great exchange of Easter cards, and I received many, not only from the Royal Family, but from all the ladies and gentlemen of the Court, which likewise I had to return. An interesting custom was the presentation by the Kaiserin to each of her ladies-in-waiting of an egg made of Berlin china-ware. These eggs had a little cork stopper at one end, and were intended to be used as scent bottles. I believe the size of the eggs was in proportion to the status of the recipient, and I noticed that some of the ladies-in-waiting had bigger eggs than mine, and I also observed that one or two had them rather smaller than my own. I was told that the Kaiserin had the monopoly of the manufacture of i62 POTSDAM PRINCES these china eggs throughout Germany. In later years, during my travels about the world, I discovered that, though of little intrinsic value, they were highly prized by all Germans, and a merchant offered me a very high price if I would part with mine. The great event of Easter Sunday was the children's egg hunt, instituted by the old Grand Duchess of Baden, and held in the grounds of Bellevue Palace. Chocolate eggs, sugar eggs, little animals stuffed full of sweets were hidden under the various bushes and trees, and there would be a huge gathering of children belonging to the numerous members of the Royal Family. Then there would be an eager scramble and a vigorous hunt for the eggs, the children generally emerging rather dirty and dis- hevelled after groping about among the bushes in the enthusiasm of their search. Speaking of the intricacies of Court life, my greatest bugbear from beginning to end was that of dress. My predecessor had not taken such an active part in the general INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 163 life of the Court as I was obliged to do, the children being younger in her day, and relegated more to the nursery. Therefore she had not prepared me for the endless clothes I needed. My letters home contained many plaintive appeals to my mother and sisters to go and buy me clothes in the London shops and to send them out at once. I spent much money on telegrams to the same effect, when the urgency of the moment required ; but try as I would, I never seemed to have an appropriate dress for the occasion. It was considered etiquette to wear a new silk frock on each Royal birthday. Being possessed of no private means, I found it impossible to keep to this rule, and did not attempt to do so. No one took any notice of it, and all the ladies were very kind to me about such matters, so I thought it was all right. Unfortunately, however, the dress I usually wore for these special occasions was of rather a bright and noticeable colour. 1 64 POTSDAM PRINCES I wore it on one of the Kaiser's birthdays (not the time I was first presented to him), and I did not think it mattered very much my not having a new one for this particular birthday, as I reasoned to myself there would be such a crowd no one would notice me. " Papa calls that dress ' Miss Howard's uniform,' ' said Prince Adalbert laugh- ingly, just as I had donned it for luncheon and the reception. I never discovered whether there was any fo ndation for this remark, or whether he said it simply to tease me. It was decidedly a thunderbolt in any case, and I resolved to try and have more dresses for the future. The ladies were very good and helped me, my sisters shopped for me in London and sent me things, and though I had never done any dressmaking in my life before, I began to work hard at altering and doing up my frocks, the result being that I was much better turned out. I think it really helped me in my work. One of the ladies assured me that it had INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 165 been a great lift to me, and she declared that one felt happier when well dressed. On the whole I think she was right ! The correct wearing of jewels, too, was another thing I had to learn. One had always to wear a brooch at luncheon, and a pendant or a necklace at dinner if Royalty were present at the meal. One of the ladies was sent out of the room by the Mistress of the Robes just before dinner, her neck being bare, having forgotten to put on any jewellery, a terrible crime. Brought up as I was, in unostentatious sty'e, and taught that in young girls ' beauty unadorned is beauty adorned the most," this compulsory wearing of jewels seemed to me rather unnecessary, especially when one had not many to choose from. I shall never forget a beautiful string of pearls, left to the Kaiserin by the Empress Augusta (wife of William I), which I par- ticularly admired. One day I remarked to the Princes that they looked so velvety and soft that I should like to touch them. My wish was granted in quite an unexpected 1 66 POTSDAM PRINCES way, and, to me, in a horrifying manner. I happened to leave my sitting-room for a few moments, and, when I returned, I found these beautiful pearls twined round the back of a chair. It was enough for the Princes that I had expressed the wish to touch them ; they had asked their mother to let them bring them to me, so they said. But I was pretty certain that they were not intended to pay this visit, and I very quickly returned them. In my agitation I forgot to notice whether they were like velvet to the touch or not ! A very great contrast were these beautiful pearls to those I wore at the first Court ball to which I was invited. Some officer came up to me and asked if the pearls I was wearing were family ones. I told him they were not, but that they were merely Venetian pearls. I thought no more of his question, but, when another invitation card to some Court function was presented to me, I found in the corner a notice to this effect : " Pearls only are to be worn, and those must be real ones." INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 167 Needless to say, I felt very crushed. But this was merely a sample of what went on daily. One's whole life was ordered, down to the smallest detail even of one's person. Had I not been so young at the time, I do not think I could have brooked this interference with what was, after all, no affair of out- siders. But being wishful to please, and in addition being anxious to "do in Rome as Rome does," I took in good part these commands as to whether I should or should not wear a pearl necklace, or have flat or high- heeled shoes much though I in- wardly resented the tone in which they were given. Once I got a sudden invitation to dinner. The Grand Duchess of Baden and several other Royalties were invited. The invita- tion card gave orders for " high evening dress," and I had not one fit to wear at the moment. One of the ladies-in-waiting, Fraulein von Gersdorff, very kindly wrote to the Kaiserin and asked if I might be excused. I happened accidentally to run 168 POTSDAM PRINCES across Her Majesty myself, and took courage to tell her my difficulty. She, with her hundreds of frocks all ready to wear, was quite unable to grasp it, and said I was to come and wear what I could. So in spite of its being Sunday, I had to call up my poor maid, and she and I slaved to- gether in feverish haste to convert an old evening dress into the high toilette required. During the time I was in the German Court the Kaiserin's ladies consisted of : first, the Mistress of the Robes (the Countess Brockdorff, whom I have men- tioned before), then three or four ladies-in- waiting, besides myself and the Mistress of the Bedchamber. I was a sort of non- descript person, and although my official status was that of English governess to the Princes, I often came in for the duties of the ordinary ladies. To be fair, I must say I often came in for their privileges also, but my work being of such an " in- between " nature, I think I put in the most strenuous time of them all ! I believe now there are as many as INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 169 fifteen " Dames du Palais," or at least there were before the war. This is quite a contrast to the household of the old Em- press Augusta, who had only a Mistress of the Robes and two Dames du Palais. These ladies were chosen from the greatest and noblest families in the land, and were generally married women or widows. They seemed to me to spend their lives in a study of precedence, in devotion to the art of dress, and to the various performances of their duties. They were religious-minded, good women, well educated and gently nurtured, very well informed so far as concerned their Sovereign and his entourage, and necessarily blind to many of the broader interests of life. I cannot deny that one and all were exceedingly kind to me. Had it not been for them I should never have been able to grope my way through the intricate maze which the routine of the Court pre- sented to me, ignorant as I was of its language, etiquette, and customs. One personage I must not forget to 1 70 POTSDAM PRINCES mention is the Court dancing mistress, Frau Wandel. I remember seeing her give an illustrated lesson to the Princes as to how to sit at table, hand dishes, lift a chair, and so on. One of the governors was present at the time, and I was greatly amused to see how he had benefited by the lesson when on the following day he had occasion to hand me a chair. This dancing mistress was a most auto- cratic dame. At Court balls she ruled the dancing with a rod of iron. With her " it was a crime to be old," and her agility surpassed that of the youngest debutante. The phrase " Court secrets " has become a byword. I had expected that I should be called upon to keep many, but in this I was disappointed. I think, looking back on it now, this was partly due to my youth and to my want of perception. It is also possible that they may have been very careful as to what they said before me. I was certainly very careful as to what I said before them : I had proof enough and to INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 171 spare of the fact that one breath of distrust or suspicion, be it true or false, meant dropping out of favour, if not that far more terrible blow compulsory resignation. Little things I said in my letters to friends in England careful though I was would get repeated and distorted in such a manner that when they eventually got back to me in Germany I would listen to them in horror, and wonder how on earth people could invent such tales. Newspaper paragraphs, too, would en- large upon the Princes' English governess my unfortunate self and it was only too evident that the German public thought that their Princes' upbringing, what with an English nurse and then an English governess, was rather too pro-British. I sometimes called at the British Em- bassy the Ambassador then being Sir Frank Lascelles and this I much en- joyed; but when I had to go calling on the ladies of other notable people by the Kaiserin's command, it did not appeal to me so much. POTSDAM PRINCES I was amused, though, to note the deference paid to me. No sooner did I reach the entrance than the doors were flung open wide without waiting for me to ring, and rigid ceremonial attended my call throughout. During my first few months at the Court I lived in deadly terror of committing a breach of etiquette. It seemed to me I was always doing something I ought not to do, or leaving something undone which I ought to do, or else being entirely at a loss as to what I should do. It did not seem safe to copy the ladies in everything. It was like an army each one had her particular position assigned to her, being entitled to give or receive so much honour. There were some ladies with whom one had to take the initiative and go up and bow to them, and there were others with whom one had to wait until they kindly greeted one's humble self. My bow to visiting Princesses had to be a very different one and much more elaborate than that to their ladies, and, owing to my short- INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 173 sightedness, I could not tell one from the other ! It was the same with the various visiting Princes ; I could not tell them from their gentlemen. They all wore uni- form, and to me they looked alike ; fortu- nately the gentlemen-in-waiting had to come up to me first ; which fact, coupled with the depth of their bow, told me whether I knew them or not, and also whether they were persons great or small. This they did in the true military manner beloved of Germans, clicking their heels, saluting, bowing, and at the same time bending low over one's hand, which somehow always made me want to laugh. The Countess Brockdorff, a descendant of Humboldt, made an ideal Mistress of the Robes. She was an exceedingly handsome woman, and carried herself remarkably well. At all evening official entertainments she wore a black mantilla veil on her head falling behind, as a widow. Her diamonds were very fine ones. Hers was a most difficult life. Every- one brought their difficulties to her, and 174 POTSDAM PRINCES she needed the wisdom of Solomon on many occasions. She had the assuring manner that induces one to bare every- thing openly to her, knowing it will go no further. She loved to help one, and took especial pains to hide any mistakes, and above all to avoid a person looking foolish. I remember her sending me out of the room with an excuse to fetch something for her when Their Majesties were present, as a visitor of very ludicrous appearance so tickled me that she feared I might dis- grace myself. She would sometimes take me out driving if she thought I was at all low-spirited. She was one of the genuinely beloved ones in the Court. In Germany etiquette is somewhat re- versed. Not only do gentlemen first recognize ladies, but those of a lower social status have to advance and ask to be presented or introduced to those in a higher position. I was discussing these differences of custom with a British officer who had spent some time in Germany, and he INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 175 related his experience of their social customs in these words : ' I was never invited to the German Court. Unlike you, I did not move in such high circles ! But on the first occa- sion I was present at a big reception, an officer came up and shouted something at me, saluting as he did so. Somewhat startled, I begged his pardon. He shouted it again in a snappy military voice, and then it dawned on me that it was his name, whereat I bowed and shouted my own name back, and everybody was satisfied. It is apparently one of their customs to introduce themselves all round at an assembly, so that everybody may know one another after the first few minutes. It is not a bad plan either, and it saves the hostess a whole lot of trouble." At dinner parties the ladies do not leave the gentlemen alone to take their wine ; in fact, the Kaiserin and her ladies were rather shocked at this custom in England. They seemed to imagine that we left the gentle- men behind to get drunk, though I did 1 76 POTSDAM PRINCES my best to politely intimate to them that this was not the case. Among Royalties an exchange of calls must always be made within an hour or two. A Royal letter demands an im- mediate reply, and the first Royal invitation extended to a lady-in-waiting necessitates her calling immediately on all the Court ladies. I have mentioned previously my being commanded to wear lorgnettes on State occasions, in order that I might not again commit the enormity of not recognizing His Majesty, and the Kaiserin also allowed me to look at her through glass, but she could not give me power to do so to all these Princes and Princesses ; there would have had to be a public declaration each time. Such were the formalities one had to comply with. Again, they were constantly asking me who Lord So-and-so was, and unless I happened to know the peer in question, I was not able to answer off-hand, and in fact at first I was not able to answer INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 177 at all, having no book by me in which to look it up. I sent to England for a handy volume of reference, and after its arrival I was able to give more or less intelligent answers to the various questions put to me on similar subjects. To say that I was horribly home-sick at times is to draw it mildly. I longed for the free-and-easy life of my English home, and though I knew I had been very lucky to get this appointment at the German Court, yet I sometimes felt that I simply could not bear it any longer. Apart from the intricacies of precedence, and the rigid ceremonial which enveloped one's whole life, one was so restricted it almost seemed like living in a prison. I was only allowed the use of a carriage when " in service," and was not permitted to enter an omnibus, so I could not get about. Walking alone was too uncomfortable in Berlin and also in Potsdam. My favourite walk in the former place was down Unter- den-Linden, as the shops were too fascin- ating for words, but I did not dare to go 12 i;8 POTSDAM PRINCES very often, as I would meet so many officers that I knew, and it much em- barrassed me to be so constantly saluted. I seemed to be kept under lock and key, and often did I long for a carriage for my own use, as was the privilege of some of the Court ladies. As in time I mastered the etiquette of the Court I began to find my sense of humour a saving grace, though rather difficult to stifle ; especially when the various people I met at dinner would air their English for my benefit, or rather for their own, as they were generally glad to get some practice in conversation. I remember one celebrated General (though for the moment I cannot recall his name) who was talking about the future of Turkey. " We Germans are trying hard to do something for the poor Turkeys," he said seriously ; and being in the middle of a mouthful of soup as he said it, I only just saved myself from choking and spluttering at his remark, putting down my spoon INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 179 and apparently giving way to a cough. Had the Kaiser been near, his stern eye would have been upon me. Another time, a lady was speaking of her visit to London, and of how much she enjoyed her drive in a flea meaning, of course, a fly. On another occasion, some vegetarian crank was trying to persuade me as to the benefits accruing to his particular choice of diet. u I never eat flesh willingly," he said. I sympathized with his misnomer of the word "meat," the German for it being " fleisch." In these and other little instances I felt I got my own back for the mistakes I made in German ; but I had to enjoy them silently, suppressing my laughter as best I could, for to give way to it would have been a terrible crime. Sometimes I even poked pins into myself to enable me to keep a straight face. This reminds me of an incident in which it was most difficult to restrain my laughter. i8o POTSDAM PRINCES Apparently it was a general practice, when officers of certain regiments were given their Company, for them to be invited to lunch with Their Majesties. On one such occasion, the officer in question must have been quite ignorant of Court ways. He was rather late in entering the ante-room, in itself most incorrect. The Empress followed almost immediately (the Kaiser being absent that day). The Captain appeared to believe it his duty not only to salute the Empress, but every- one in the room as well. I can see him now, spinning like a teetotum, clicking his heels and going round the circle, ceaselessly saluting everyone in turn. " Mamma, what is that funny man doing ? " said the little Princess, adding her quota of embarrassment to the situation. Then she tried to copy him, and following behind, did everything she saw him do. This so amused the Chamberlain that even he was unable to give a hint to stop the officer. Someone told me afterwards that it had been a practical joke played INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 181 on this wretched Captain. A more unkind and humiliating one it would have been difficult to think of. Court mourning, too, was another trial. One day, when dressed for luncheon and going downstairs, I met the Mistress of the Robes, who at once asked me why I was not in mourning. Had I not heard of the death of ? (mentioning some per- sonage whose name I do not now recall). On my replying in the negative, she told me to run upstairs and change my dress. I literally had only two minutes to do this in. Flinging off my frock, I seized a black dress and got into it as best I could, rushed downstairs again, and reached the waiting- room, one of the lackeys trying to stop me on the way. He said something or other, but I was in far too much of a hurry to listen to him then. I found I was just in time. " Are you mad ? " said one of the ladies, pointing to the hand which I thought held a fan. I looked at my right hand, and to my 182 POTSDAM PRINCES consternation, found that I was holding not my fan, but my curling-tongs, which I must have picked up in the agitated frenzy of changing my costume. Was ever any- thing so quickly hidden out of sight, I wonder ? Mercifully no one else had seen it, as I was standing just at the door of the room, which I had only just entered; but I had to go in to luncheon without a fan that day, a terrible solecism which made me very uncomfortable, and which I hoped no one would notice. My curling-tongs I hid under my serviette on my lap, and, as I rose from the table, I hid them between the folds of my gown, escaping as quickly as I could to return them to their proper place on my dressing-table. I have mentioned the Kaiserin's frank criticism to me of my clothes, and her sons were not behind her in this. One morning I was called at 6.30 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. to see Their Majesties off to Berlin. Being late, I had to make a hurried toilette; but I scrambled through INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 183 and gave a hasty look at myself in the glass, and saw nothing amiss. Picture my dis- may when I got downstairs, and Prince Adalbert said : f< Miss Howard, your neck does look so funny ; it is all unhooked in front, and you have got no brooch on." I had gone down without a collar, and blame my maid though I did, for letting me appear thus half-dressed, I could not but feel that it was somewhat my own fault as well. When this criticism of my clothes went on, all the ladies joining in, I longed to retaliate by telling them that their lingerie showed little proof of taste. What was the good of having all these beautiful top dresses if one was not daintily attired throughout ? Anything more plain and ugly than the German ladies' under garments I could not imagine ; and at least I scored over them there in my own opinion, at any rate ! Another thing that was extremely irritating in the Palace was the excessive 1 84 POTSDAM PRINCES red tape, without which the smallest article could not be replaced. As boys will, the Princes naturally broke things either they smashed small toilet articles, or else they managed to damage their rooms after the manner of boys all the world over. I do not remember that they broke any windows, but I am sure they could not have been healthy youths if they had not, and they certainly were quite normal specimens of boisterous boyhood. It was most tiresome to have to wait until the yards of red tape were measured out, and the article in question could be mended ; in fact, when ordering any small necessities for my charges, I became very wary, and sent in my requisi- tion long before the things were really needed, in order that there might be some hope of receiving them by the time they were actually wanted. The payment of salaries, fortunately, was not such a dilatory proceeding. They were paid regularly on the first of every month, and if one were out the money was INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 185 left in an envelope on the writing-table. There was a special office for this work. Once my father sent me a little present of a sovereign, but thinking to make it easier for me to get it cashed, he made it payable to the Palace. The result was most em- barrassing, as it went straight to this office, where it was first cashed and then solemnly and suddenly presented to me on a huge silver tray by one of the officials. I heard afterwards that the incident had caused both him and his colleagues much amuse- ment, as this was one of the smallest sums paid out from their " Amt " or office. The Princes, besides breaking their belongings, only just missed breaking their bones as well, though I am glad to say that nothing very serious happened while I was in charge of them. It was a strain having such valuable lives in one's care, and when they fell and hurt themselves, my heart would give a sudden jump of apprehension as to severe injuries, which fortunately generally turned out to be only small cuts and bruises. 1 86 POTSDAM PRINCES One day Prince Au-Wi cut himself rather badly, and lost a good deal of blood, though I managed to arrest the worst of it until help arrived. My part being over, I was just recovering from the fright I had had, when there burst upon my ears a scream so loud that six lackeys from different parts of the grounds ran to the spot from which the sound came. It was Prince Adalbert falling down- stairs. I thought he was stunned when we reached him, but he seemed to recover, and insisted on coming down to luncheon that day. In order to spare the Kaiserin's maternal anxiety amid the strain of her busy life, I was supposed not to trouble her with accounts of such hurts which did not prove of a serious nature ; but on this and other similar occasions I was often at a loss as to whether I should tell her or not. A good many at the Court became nervous wrecks, and had to resign their positions. One of the Empress's chamber- lains left while I was there utterly INTRICACIES OF COURT LIFE 187 collapsed. Most of them inherited their positions from their parents, and were trained for the rigorous self-denial which their duties demanded. Indeed, it proved the necessity of being born and bred to such an existence, which, in spite of its prestige and privileges of a certain kind, was not by any means a bed of roses. Though living in the lap of luxury, it was a constant rush and strain to get through one's work and meet the sudden demands on one with a smiling face, to be ready to go anywhere and do anything at a minute's notice. Indeed, I often found it in my heart to add a clause to my litany : " From a Court life, good Lord, deliver me." Such lives, however, ennoble character, endurance being the dominant note. I remember when attending a certain visiting Princess how striking was her power of silently bearing pain. She had gone to open some bazaar, and in leaving her fingers became crushed in the carriage door. It i88 POTSDAM PRINCES was not until we had driven some little way out that I noticed the mat was stained with blood, and looking up I saw this little lady deathly white. In leaving, she had bowed and smiled herself away from the hall, and in spite of her suffering she had graciously acknowledged the cheering crowd so much so that until I noticed the mat, I had no suspicion of what had happened. CHAPTER VIII POMP AND PAGEANT LIFE in the Neues Palais at Potsdam was much more to my liking than the routine of the Berlin Schloss. Here everything was extremely official, and the whole building was crammed. I had only a small bed-sitting room allotted to me, in which I often had to take my meals. At Potsdam, too, there were none too many rooms, and I remember being accom- modated in one which connected on the one side with the Kaiserin's apartments and on the other with the Princes' rooms. The idea was that I should be near my charges, but the corridor-like nature of my room did not add to its comfort : in every other respect it was pleasing, for it was lofty, and in many ways beautiful. Often the Kaiserin would pass through, and it 189 190 POTSDAM PRINCES being etiquette to bow to her whenever and wherever one saw her, I was sometimes at a loss to know if it was the correct thing to do so in a state of deshabille ! As a general rule, though, I was more comfortable in this Palace than in any, and for a long time I occupied two delight- fully large rooms. My sitting-room was really very beautiful. The walls were of old painted silk, the entire furniture was of white enamel and gold, the doors and woodwork being decorated in the same manner. The fireplace was rather a fine one, and bore the letter " F " in the middle, in token of the Palace having been built by Frederick the Great. Here, as in the other palaces, huge wood fires were kept burning. My bedroom furniture I longed to send home to my people for their drawing-room : I do not mean by this that I intended send- ing such utilitarian objects as beds and washhand-stands, and chests of drawers I am simply alluding to the beautiful Chippendale writing-table and cupboards, outlined with gold, which adorned the room. % " POMP AND PAGEANT 191 On warm evenings, at this Neues Palais, the Princes and myself usually had supper out of doors, while Their Majesties had dinner served on the terrace a little later. The great drawback to these otherwise delightful meals was the plague of mos- quitoes, but the trouble was mitigated to some extent by smoke fires ; later, the nuisance was stopped by the filling in of some ponds near by in which the mosquitoes were in the habit of breeding. I used very much to enjoy the drives round Potsdam, but it was quite unavoid- able that I should on some occasions return alone in the Royal carriage, much to the annoyance and disgust of the guard ; for in spite of the removal of the broad silver band with an eagle emblazoned thereon, worn by the coachman and footmen when driving Royalty, my arrival was often the cause of a needless turning out to salute. When driving the Royal Household, only a narrow band of silver braid is worn. Once I took the Princes to some function, driving there in the Kaiserin's own victoria, 192 POTSDAM PRINCES with its beautiful blue satin upholstery and silver wheels ; and returning alone, I was aware of being a serious disappointment to many people, who, seeing the carriage from afar, expected their Empress, and found it contained only the " Englanderin," or the Englishwoman. Photographers often snapped me as I passed alone in the carriage, as I was sup- posed to have had a certain resemblance to some Princess (I do not know which). This tickled my sense of humour, but it was really most embarrassing. I always avoided being included in photographs if it were possible, but I could not always control circumstances. Once at Schloss Urville, a group photograph was being taken after luncheon. I had retired to my room after the meal, not being required for further services. Suddenly my name was called the Emperor wishing me to be included. There was no keeping His Majesty waiting. I had to go out as I was, and the photograph, which a little later could be bought as a post card, showed POMP AND PAGEANT 193 me the only one without a hat or a suitable outdoor costume. One afternoon, finding myself off duty, I thought I would inspect the outside of the Palace grounds. I had never been out for a walk alone since my arrival, but once beyond the gates I felt I must go farther and farther the freedom was so delightful. Walking on, engrossed with my thoughts, I never realized how far I was going, or how the time was passing. Suddenly, pulling out my watch, I discovered that there was only half an hour before I had to be back at the Palace in service. Then only did I realize that I had not the slightest notion of the way I had come or the way to get back. I looked all round for a droshky (the vehicle that one finds plying for hire almost everywhere), but not one could I see. I did not know in which direction to turn, for it might be the wrong one and I should only go farther away instead of nearer home. At last, when I was almost in despair, I saw a market-cart coming towards me, i 9 4 POTSDAM PRINCES driven by a couple of German peasants. I can see the little old woman now, with her apple-red cheeks and clean print dress. I stopped the couple, told them I was a stranger, had lost my way and was very tired, and that if they could put me down at one of the Palace gates I could find my way back, and would be most grateful to them. They said there was no room for me in their cart unless I would deign to sit on a barrel of onions in the back which entirely filled up its diminutive space, a seat which in my despair I thankfully accepted. Need- less to say, I was determined they should not find out who I was. The drive turned out to be quite a long one, and I shall never forget the terrible whiffs of onions which were wafted up to me and which nearly made me weep. I was already half crying when they picked me up, what with ex- haustion and the nervous fear of not getting back in time. My chief anxiety, however, was that someone belonging to the Court would recognize me, and relate the tale of my undignified drive through POMP AND PAGEANT 195 Potsdam seated on a barrel of onions ! Very hard and uncomfortable it was, too ! I made myself as small as I could and crouched behind the old couple, whose ample proportions I blessed for shielding me from the gaze of the passers-by. I was indeed thankful when I found we were nearing the Palace gates, and I got them to put me down some little distance off. Fortunately, I had some money with me, though the kind souls did not expect a reward. Waiting till they were well out of sight, I walked up to the Palace and presented my pass, gaining admittance only just in time. * * * * That year there were great goings on. The Emperor and Empress and many of their suite went off to Breslau for the manoeuvres, at which the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia were present, it being their first public appearance in Germany since the Tsar's coronation. Then we had a visit from that great man of China, Li Hung-Chang. He had come 196 POTSDAM PRINCES over to represent his Emperor at the Tsar's coronation, and afterwards visited Germany, England, and France. He brought his coffin with him in case he should die while in Europe. The reviews held at Potsdam during his visit were exceptionally brilliant. There he would be, seated in the Palace grounds, sheltering under a large black umbrella in bright sunshine, which looked remarkably out of place and extremely conspicuous in the midst of the many bright uniforms surrounding him on every side. Unfortunately, I cannot recall any interesting incidents connected with his stay, though the English story of his having kept his appointment for four-o'clock tea with Mr. Gladstone at precisely that hour in the morning remains firmly fixed in my memory. Years after, when travelling in China, I visited the mausoleum of this famous old statesman ; to my European eyes it was remarkably ugly, and the chief impression I retained was one of colour a rather ugly bluish shade. POMP AND PAGEANT 197 Another Eastern potentate who later came to visit us (in August 1897) was the King of Siam ; not the present Sovereign, His Majesty Chowfa Maha Vijiravudh, who is on exceedingly good terms with England, having been recently made an honorary General of the British Army, but the King of Siam who came to visit the Kaiser at Potsdam King Chulalonkorn, an ex- ceedingly nice man, so everyone said, of most delightful manners and high intel- lectual capacity. He had travelled a good deal, simply to see other countries, and visited all the principal cities of Europe, London among them. I was much inter- ested when I heard he was coming to Potsdam, since, as I have already men- tioned, I had coached his young relative, Prince Sithiphorn (pronounced Cityporn) in England prior to taking up my appoint- ment at the German Court. This little Prince used to be oiled all over, and gave forth an odour which, though quite agree- able, was rather overpowering at times. When King Chulalonkorn, accompanied 198 POTSDAM PRINCES by Prince Bhurraputa, a boy of about six- teen, visited Potsdam, they arrived about 10 a.m. There was great excitement on the part of my young charges, as they had been told to address the King as " Your Majesty," which they punctiliously and with great hilarity rehearsed before his arrival. They went down to meet him, and to my surprise returned quite unhappy at their respectful salutation being returned by a kiss ! There was another review that day, and the brilliant hues worn by the King of Siam's retinue surpassed even the gor- geousness of the full-dress uniforms of the Prussian officers. That night there was a big dinner, given in King Chulalonkorn's honour. I had my seven-o'clock supper with the Princes as usual, but it was rather hurried, as they wanted to go and see their mother dressing for the occasion. She was robed in a very gorgeous pink silk dress with a long Court train and many of the Crown jewels. A royal diadem surmounted her elaborate POMP AND PAGEANT 199 coiffure, and her whole person seemed one blaze of rubies and diamonds. She looked extremely well that night, in fact I have seldom seen her look better. Like most women, I am fond of jewels, and I used to admire the Kaiserin's im- mensely. The set of jewellery spoken of as the Crown jewels comprised six dia- dems alone. There was also a particularly enormous species of diamond rosette, the size of a monster chrysanthemum, which was formerly the property of Napoleon. This was always a favourite among her jewels. During my time one of the chamberlains came across a quantity of old Court jewellery hidden away in the Berlin Schloss. The discovery caused quite a lot of excitement ; it was a wonderful set of emeralds intermingled with diamonds, many of the stones being as much as two inches square. The Kaiserin was just like a child over them, wearing them evening after evening, and leaving all her other jewellery untouched. I also seem 200 POTSDAM PRINCES to remember some wonderful sapphires, which equalled these emeralds in size. She also had a wonderful collection of parasols, the handles of most of them being completely studded with diamonds. When the little Princess Victoria Luise attained the age of five years, her parents gave her five very beautiful pearls, and subsequently on every birthday as many more as she was years of age were added, in order to complete a long chain when she reached eighteen years of age. Between the birthdays the jeweller had to seek everywhere to match the pearls rather a difficult undertaking, as they were valued at about 75 each. The Gratulations Cour, which took place at the Berlin Schloss on New Year's Day, was another public occasion involving great ceremonial. All the Ambassadors would drive from the Embassies, and everyone in the Court attended for the New Year's congratulations. I looked in sympathy at Her Majesty, only recently recovered from influenza, for POMP AND PAGEANT 201 whom the hours were passing so wearily. There she stood, smiling and bowing, but I plainly saw tears in her eyes ; she was utterly spent, and so were the various Princesses and courtiers. I remember one of them fainting. The scene reminded me of a dolls' house, when a little doll is made to stand in a certain corner of the house, and falling down is placed up again with firm determination. So with this weary Princess. Her faint finished, she must return and stand all the steadier ! It was on this particular occasion that a certain Professor, passing before Their Majesties at his first presentation, thought it a fitting opportunity to thank the Kaiser for the bestowal of his degree (having been ad- vised to do so by his friends, by way of playing on this learned man a practical joke). The effect was quite appalling, for there is usually an unbroken silence during these presentations ; suddenly a very cheerful voice introduced himself to his Emperor as being most grateful. Many of us 202 POTSDAM PRINCES thought he had gone out of his mind when first he spoke ; but the Kaiser appeared at his best on this occasion, shook hands heartily and wished him every success. On New Year's night, and also generally on the Kaiser's birthday, a gala Opera was held exclusively for Royalties, the Court entourage, and diplomats generally. The Opera House was festooned with garlands of roses, and there were masses of flowers everywhere. The Royal box was quite a floral poem. The stalls were entirely occupied by distinguished officers in full uniform a perfect blaze of colour and sparkling orders. No ladies sat below, the boxes and all other seats above were filled by them and the gentlemen of the Court, and those from the various Em- bassies. On the first occasion when I was present a Russian Royalty was visiting the Court. The Royal box was a wonderful sight. The Empress had a dress of silver brocade (the material came from Russia) ; she wore POMP AND PAGEANT 203 the Crown jewels, and altogether looked very regal. The Emperor wore a Russian uniform, and the three eldest Princes sat behind their parents in the uniform of the ist Guards Regiment, a regiment which each Prussian Prince enters at the age of ten years. During the intervals the various Ambassadors were given an audience in the Royal box. I drove back with one of the ladies-in- waiting. Our carriage got in front of Their Majesties' ; the crowd thought it was the Imperial carriage, and cheered us all the way from the Opera House back to the Schloss. It was really very embarrassing, and I never quite knew how to behave on these occasions. There was a charming little theatre in the Neues Palais, and once, on the Empress Frederick's birthda}^ I remember seeing a delightful play acted there my German by that time being sufficiently good to thoroughly enjoy it. I had had a strenuous day as usual, and had been out walking for four hours. After tea at five o'clock, I 204 POTSDAM PRINCES went up to dress, and was ready by 6.30, when the play began, and continued till 10 p.m. The Kaiser wore the uniform of the Dragoons as a compliment to the Empress Frederick, the latter being the honorary colonel of the regiment. After the theatre, we all went to a large room for congratulations, where we stood for an hour and a half. During the performance the wretched chamberlains had stood all the time holding their heavy maces, which were only used on big occasions. They used to tap them on the ground to clear the way for the Imperial couple when there was a great crowd, and it needed con- siderable adeptness to avoid collisions with people's toes in the crush. After the congratulations were over, we went into the Muschel-Saal, where supper was laid out and sitting accommodation provided for two hundred guests at a time. The floral decorations were beautiful, and there was a magnificent gold centre-piece and gold knives and forks. The Empress looked very handsome in red silk embossed POMP AND PAGEANT 205 with gold, and wore one of her most beautiful diadems. Having had nothing to eat since tea, I was very thankful when supper came ; but we all used to forgo an occasional meal when the exigencies of our duties demanded it. The Muschel-Saal in the Potsdam Palace was only used for big entertainments, and it was there that I first heard Clara Butt sing. My introduction to her was rather remarkable. Before there was any ques- tion of her singing at the Palace, I had received a letter from a friend in England asking whether it would be possible for me to get the German Empress interested in a young singer of the name of Miss T , who had just entered the profession. I at once went to the Mistress of the Robes to ask her help and advice in the matter, but I think I omitted to give her the name of the budding prima donna. The next day the Countess Brockdorff informed me she had succeeded in doing what I asked, and the lady had been commanded to perform at the Palace. Further, the Kaiserin told 206 POTSDAM PRINCES me that, being my friend, she had been asked to a private tea at the Palace. Then I found that Miss Clara Butt, and not the lady my friend had written about, had been asked, as a result of some mistake in the name. Etiquette forbade my reveal- ing the error, and I had to pass as Clara Butt's friend a fact which she will doubt- less recall. However, this mistake proved of mutual benefit, as she was asked to sing under exceptional circumstances before the German Emperor and Empress. I can see her now, standing in the Muschel- Saal, robed in white satin after the Greek style, her tall figure the central object of interest as she towered over her listening audience. The huge hall was purposely left in darkness save for one lamp, which cast its rays on her slightly swaying figure. She sang without a piano, and only those who have heard her rich and deep con- tralto can in some measure imagine the weird effect of hearing the sad strains of " Kathleen Mavourneen " as sung by her. Then she sang " I dreamt I dwelt in marble POMP AND PAGEANT 207 halls " ; and after that she imitated a cornet by singing through her teeth, and really, the sound was exactly like one. But her last song was the most memorable, and I can never forget hearing the soul-stirring notes of her glorious voice as she sang that fine old hymn " Abide with me." Talking of music, I shall never forget attending a certain concert to which I was sent alone, the other ladies not being able to go. I was given a box high up in a conspicuous position, where everyone could see me. I never had more occasion to regret my sense of humour, and the strain it involved in keeping my countenance. The first item was a song by a rather lame officer, who was wheeled in. I ought not to have laughed at him, even to myself, because of his infirmity ; but he was exceptionally fat, and his voice was almost beyond control. The song seemed to consist of three words, bellowed forth like a bull : " Ich bin es," which being literally translated mean " I am it." What " it " really was, I did 208 POTSDAM PRINCES not manage to discover, until I found in my German phrase-book that " Ich bin es," or " I am it," meant " It is I," which difficult translation I might have evolved for myself at the time. Next a little spitfire of a man flew up and down the piano, and his name, much to my amusement, was " Speed." A rather exceptional fancy dress ball was given during my sojourn at the Court. The costumes worn represented Court dresses and uniforms of a hundred years previously. It was called " the Century Ball," and took place in the Weisser-Saal. I was in a box looking down on the ball-room, and witnessed the scene from beginning to end. When all the guests were assembled, the heralds, likewise in costume of a hundred years ago, announced with a blare of trumpets Their Majesties' entrance. All I can remember of the Empress's costume is that it was very wonderful and that she wore her hair powdered, and I am afraid I do not recollect the details of many POMP AND PAGEANT 209 of the other dresses, the powdered heads and beauty spots on my friends' faces im- pressing me most. The various Ambassadors wore the costume of their country a century pre- viously, and very brilliant was the scene. Those devotees of Terpsichore who had previously practised them, pirouetted for our benefit in minuets and other old- fashioned dances. When it was time for supper, the heralds again appeared, and, with another blare of trumpets, the Imperial couple, followed by all the guests, paired off for supper. The following summer, when at Potsdam, the Kaiser suddenly commanded that an alfresco ball in the same costumes should take place in the grounds of the Marmor Palace (the home of the present Crown Prince and his family). To quote from my diary : " Drove in attendance on the Kaiserin till 5.45, as all the ladies were having their heads dressed. Such crowds were on the road. Supper with Princes at seven o'clock. 14 210 POTSDAM PRINCES I am to go and sit with them in the little room overlooking the grounds, and we are going to listen to the music." As we listened to the music, I got a sudden command from the Kaiser that I was to bring the Princes down and let them mingle among the guests. Needless to say, we were not in costume. The orchestra consisted of boys and girls arrayed in the powdered hair and dress of a century back. It being an outdoor fete the music was supposed to represent the singing of birds, simulated by all sorts of quaint instruments. The cuckoo and nightingale, or the children representing them, seemed to work harder than the rest, their calls being the most frequent and the most insistent. It was indeed a fairy scene, the gardens and terraces being illuminated by myriads of tiny lamps, while the moon shed a pale gleam over all, reflecting her rays in the still waters of the lake. The costumes were really very beautiful, for instead of being composed of ordinary materials calculated to give an effect from POMP AND PAGEANT 211 a distance, they were made of fine old silks and brocade, so that as one looked into them their beauty was en- hanced. There was also a very great affair con- nected with the coming of Lord Charles Beresford and Lord Hopetoun, together with three hundred Englishmen. I was very anxious to know why they had come and all about it, but I never discovered the reason. There was a tremendous to-do in the grounds, hundreds and hundreds of soldiers playing English airs very well indeed, and winding up with the Zapfen- Streich, only played on very rare occa- sions, when a King comes to the Palace on a visit. At least this was what I had been told, but as there was no King on this occasion I could not see why the Zapfen-Streich was played. As it grew dark the soldiers carried lighted torches, and fireworks were let off at intervals. The only visitors on that occasion were a few Princes and Princesses ; none of the Court gentlemen were invited not 212 POTSDAM PRINCES even the governors of the whole entourage only four Court ladies and myself being present. I have not given these events in their correct sequence of date, but merely as they come into my mind when I try to recall instances of pomp and pageant during the three years I spent at the German Court. There was a curious festival which took place annually that of slaying an ox and roasting it whole, after which it would be partaken of (opposite the Palace) by the whole Court, the young Princes included, together with a large number of soldiers. I was off duty on this occasion, but I watched some of the proceedings from my window. Fortunately for me, one of my sisters and her husband visited Germany about this time, and came to see me. The Kaiserin, much to my delight, gave me a few days' holiday ; so I wandered about Berlin with them, showing them the sights, and impressing them with my POMP AND PAGEANT 213 knowledge of the town and its language and customs. We visited all the chief Palaces, and went into several rooms not open to the public, as the men-servants in charge knew who I was, and were very deferential. A visit to the Palace in Charlotten Hof was most interesting. We went into Humboldt's room, where he wrote " The Cosmos." It was built to resemble a cabin, as if he were on board ship ; all the washing apparatus was fixed, so as not to fall about and break if the vessel were encountering rough weather. Going to see the Sans Souci Palace was very amusing. The " Diener " there let him- self go completely. He was a most objec- tionable-looking man, wore no uniform, had a sty on his eye, and was altogether a most tipsy-looking person. He showed us Napoleon's rooms ; the ceilings and walls had coloured animals on them in bas- relief, which the Diener said were all typical of. Napoleon's character. "For example," he said, " the parrot to repre- 2i 4 POTSDAM PRINCES sent his talking ; the monkey, his tricks," and so forth. We also went all over the Konigliches Schloss, the Berlin Palace, where we lived when in the capital. It was a revelation to see so many beautiful bedrooms there, for my own little room gave but a very poor idea of it. There were seven hundred rooms in all, and yet when the whole Royal Family was staying there we were terribly cramped. Then my sister wanted to see my young pupils. Her wish was granted, and in they burst, very dishevelled, having come straight from sliding down a canvas fire- shoot a practice of fire-drill which they much enjoyed and to which they were therefore particularly addicted. Their hair was tousled, their fingers were sticky, they sucked brandy-balls as they talked, generously offering them to my sister ; and she, who had seemed to expect Princes to be different from other boys, found to her agreeable surprise that this was not the case. There is one date which the German POMP AND PAGEANT 215 Socialists keep particularly, and on it I was warned never to wear anything red. Her Majesty used to be unusually anxious for the Kaiser's safety, as he used to make a practice of driving unaccompanied through the streets of Berlin. I have reason to remember that day, but on account of something very remote from the Socialistic creed. At luncheon on that day I sneezed, and I received one of the severest reprimands I ever got from the Kaiserin, who told me never to do such a thing again. I apologized and said I did not know how to prevent it, and she then showed me a place under one's eye which, if pressed in time, would effectually stop a sneeze. I have since discovered that to press one's upper lip is a more infallible preventive. It is difficult for anyone unacquainted with Prussian Court life to imagine what precautions one takes to prevent " in- fectious diseases " at the Palace, and even an ordinary cold comes under this cate- gory. I have been isolated for some days 216 POTSDAM PRINCES in my room all because of a cold in the head. The Kaiser's antipathy to colds and sore throats is well known, likewise his fear of infection. Directly we heard of an out- break of measles, chicken-pox, or more serious still, scarlet fever or diphtheria, it mattered not how far from the immediate vicinity, we would immediately receive orders to pack up at once, and within an hour or two we would decamp to a neigh- bouring Palace. This same fear of infection was also quite a mania with the Crown Prince, who when his brothers had a cold would throw things at them to prevent them coming near him. On another occasion diphtheria broke out in Bornstedt (an adjacent village to Wildpark, where the Neues Palais is built). So terrified was the Empress when she heard of it that she instantly sent for the Hoffurrier (head over the servants) and ordered that every housemaid and worker in the Palace who came from that village POMP AND PAGEANT 217 should be dismissed for seven weeks. This meant their losing all their earnings, as they were given no compensation. Strange to say, in spite of all these precautions, one of the Princes did contract this illness on another occasion. CHAPTER IX IMPERIAL TRAVELS THE Kaiser as is well known loves travelling, and there is no word that better describes this than the German one of Wanderlust. Those who have no knowledge of the Fatherland's tongue can gather its meaning by an English pro- nunciation of it, reading it in one or in two words as they like best. The German saying, " Der greise Kaiser, der weise Kaiser, und der reise Kaiser " (The old Emperor, the wise Emperor, and the travelling Emperor), is a very true one Wilhelm II (the present Kaiser) being always rushing about from place to place. The first journey on which I accompanied him, together with the rest of the Court, was our move to the beautiful Palace of Wilhelmshohe, near Cassel. One day I nl IMPERIAL TRAVELS 219 suddenly found on my table a card an- nouncing that the Court would move to this Palace the day after to-morrow. The card announced when the luggage was to be ready, the time the carriage would be waiting, and the hour of the train's depar- ture a terribly early one, it seemed to me ; but one practically always got up soon after daybreak, so I was more or less accustomed to it by that time. In fact, it was in Germany that I acquired that excellent habit of early rising, for which I am not sorry now. As regards preparations, I was informed that each lady was allowed a certain number of boxes, and woe betide her if she overstepped the limit ! These were expected to be made of compressed cane, and all of one pattern. At 6 a.m. the carriages were waiting to convey us to the Kaiser's private station entrance, where the Royal train was drawn up in readiness. There was quite a little colour scheme in the grey old station, a red carpet being laid down for Imperial feet to tread 220 POTSDAM PRINCES on, the train itself being painted a bright Prussian blue, picked out with gold and cream colour, while the early morning sunlight slanting down through uncovered spaces in the roof above greatly enhanced the effect. But the train's brilliant exterior was nothing to the luxury of its interior. Not only a dining-room, but a well-stocked library, a lounge, and a writing-room were provided, besides which there was a separate coupe" for each lady (including myself), with everything beautifully fitted up. In fact, I believe there were bathrooms attached to the Royal suites, and also to those of the Court holding the highest positions. One of my young charges, Prince Adal- bert, informed me that this train was constructed in order that the Imperial Family could live there in comfort while at a standstill in a tunnel should war oblige them to do so. That must have been quite his own idea, for at that time there was certainly IMPERIAL TRAVELS 221 no reference to a possible clash between the nations. Now one hears much of the Kaiser's rapid journeys to and fro, and one wonders whether that train which I remember so well is used for the purpose. When I knew it, it was painted a bright blue ; it would undoubtedly be a grey-green now. I have read much of the extreme dis- comfort and the horrible bone-shaking of German trains, even the Royal ones, within the last few years. Although it is a long time now since I travelled by them, and the trains must have been even more bumping, grinding, and shaking in my time than ever, yet this did not seem to worry me. I was young and strong at the time, and I think the novelty of it and the pure joy of seeing new places helped to remove the discomfort. There was much enjoyment in these journeys. Much of the stiffness of eti- quette was necessarily dropped for the time, but one had to keep up the usual custom of changing for luncheon and 222 POTSDAM PRINCES dinner, after which we would as a rule play games. Wherever we stopped, ad- dresses were presented to the Kaiser and bouquets to the Kaiserin, there would be a row of staring faces gazing at each one of us amid vociferous cheering. Always as the train steamed out, the stationmaster stood stiffly at the salute till we had passed from sight. We were occasionally in the train for as many as eighteen to twenty-four hours at a time, and when the hour for retiring came, the seats would be converted into beds, which looked inviting enough with their snowy white linen, embroidered as usual with the Royal Crown. On negoti- ating these beds, however, they seemed somewhat hard, especially the pillows. Nevertheless, I used to go to bed and managed to sleep pretty well till about 5.30 a.m., when I would be suddenly awakened by one of the ladies to look out and see the sun rise over the beautiful Rhine or other country through which we might be passing. Then I would get IMPERIAL TRAVELS 223 up and make my toilet in the limited space which the train afforded. I do not, of course, mean that the train was less roomy than an ordinary train ; but after the spaciousness of Court life one was always conscious of being cramped while travelling. But this must be added, one's comfort was always considered so far as possible, to the extent even of a large supply of hot water. Breakfast was at 8 a.m., and I remember once, only two ladies being present, I sat on the Kaiser's left, an unprecedented honour for me on such an occasion, and one which did not occur again. On this particular journey (my first) it was raining when we arrived at Cassel, our destination, and I noticed one young woman dressed up in white muslin, and a little girl also, both carrying bouquets. They were shivering when we arrived, whether with cold or apprehension I do not know, probably a little of both. The young woman handed her bouquet to the Kaiserin, and began to falteringly read her 224 POTSDAM PRINCES speech, which she held up in front of her, written out on a card. She began it, but gasping for breath, broke off with a nervous laugh, and was quite unable to continue. The little girl then saved the situation by coming forward and handing her rather smaller bouquet to the Princess, which she was evidently supposed to do after the other had finished her speech. She certainly showed rather more self-possession than the elder one. The Kaiserin, as usual, was most kind, and put the unfortunate woman at her ease ; but personally I had great sympathy with her, for I thought had I been in the same position I should probably have covered myself with confusion. Perhaps my face expressed what I felt, as I caught a grateful look in my direction on the poor girl's face. After alighting at the station, there would invariably be decorated streets to drive through, amid bowing and cheering and saluting on every side. I used to have to keep the Princes up to their share of the IMPERIAL TRAVELS 225 business, jogging them should they forget to make known their Royal pleasure in the welcome accorded them. The Wilhelmshohe Palace seemed to me one of the largest I had ever been in, but in spite of that it was hardly large enough to accommodate the many gentlemen the Kaiser had brought with him. In fact, we could hardly all fit in. As usual in these cases of crowding, I was allotted only a bed-sitting-room, and one of the governors of a higher rank was given the same, a small room next door to mine, which did not please him at all. The Palace of Wilhelmshohe is in the shape of a horseshoe, and its windows are all rounded. It stands on a hill, and looking out of one's window beyond its green lawns and terraces with beds of flowers in their full summer glory, there is a lovely view of woodland and hillside, the town of Cassel being just visible from some aspects, though not from that of my bedroom window. A large lake in the grounds gave that touch of charm '5 226 POTSDAM PRINCES which is always present when water is part of the landscape. The Court usually remained for six weeks during the summer at this Palace, after which it returned to Potsdam for the sake of the Princes' studies. We were scarcely installed in our new quarters when I had a surprise, the Court doctor informing me that I would find quite a lot of money on my writing-table. I asked him what he meant, and he told me it was my travelling allowance, and it was explained to me that one was allowed so much a day extra when not in residence in Berlin or Potsdam. This was good news and appeared to me a very thoughtful institution, as travelling meant dirtying one's frocks and more especially the white kid gloves which were seldom allowed to be off one's hands. Another Royal journey though to a somewhat more distant land, and one on which the Court naturally did not travel was the visit of Prince Henry of Prussia (the Kaiser's brother) to China. It was in the early days of 1898 that THE CASCADE, WILHELMSHOHE, NEAR CASSEL IMPERIAL TRAVELS 227 Europe learned that China had leased to Germany for a period of ninety-nine years a port (situated in the Shan-tung Peninsula) with a good harbour, an outlet for the mineral wealth of theprovince. Together with this went a considerable extent of territory adjoining, in which district the town of Tsing-tau was situated. The port in question was of course Kiao-Chow, which has come into prominence lately on account of its surrender in 1914 to the Japanese. Prince Henry started at the end of December 1897 on an expedition to China, in command of a battleship, in order to take formal possession of the conceded territory, and was received by the Chinese Emperor at Pekin, with great display and ceremonial. I knew, of course, that he was going to China, but I did not discover the above reason for the expedition until afterwards. Prince Henry, the sailor, who generally lived up at Kiel, paid us quite a long visit, bringing the Princess, before he started for China. The Princes seemed perfectly 228 POTSDAM PRINCES devoted to him, and he certainly was an ideal uncle, spending many hours with them, building them a remarkably complete model of a fortress in the grounds of the Bellevue Schloss. It was pronounced by experts as being quite a show model. This expedition to China was much talked of, as it was such a long journey and a big undertaking for which many preparations must be made. I remember going up- stairs to the gymnasium in the Neues Palais to fetch one of the Princes, it being his hour for being with me. The boy came out at once, but whispered in my ear that I must not enter the gymnasium. " Uncle is taking boxing lessons in case a naughty Chinaman should try and knock him down," he said quite seriously. The boys' idea of the proposed expedition to China was that their uncle had gone to avert war, but would probably not suc- ceed, and they had quite made up their minds that they would never see their favourite uncle again. " If the Chinese did you know what I IMPERIAL TRAVELS 229 mean, Miss Howard then I will live to revenge on them. I will not rest fighting them if they kill our dear uncle," said little Prince Oscar to me once. One day Prince Adalbert came into the schoolroom with the announcement that the Fatherland had sent ships to attack the English off China in order to avenge the death of a German missionary there. That was his idea of it. It formed the chief topic of conversation at supper that evening, and was the subject of many jokes, Prince Adalbert remarking that he could picture me rushing out there with thousands of Red Cross packages under my arm, binding up the wounds of British soldiers, who " of course," he added, " would be beaten by us Germans." As the day approached on which Prince Henry was to leave, the boys grew more and more unhappy at the thought of parting with him. Try as much as they would, they were unable to restrain their tears ; all except little Prince Oscar, who, bearing in mind that it was unmanly to 230 POTSDAM PRINCES cry, cultivated a way of swallowing hard to keep the tears back, which had the effect of giving him a pain below his belt, which necessitated the doctor's inter- ference, thus making him more unhappy than ever. Prince Adalbert was very busy being fitted with a new naval uniform to accom- pany the Kaiser to Kiel, in order to see Prince Henry off to China, and I find it recorded in my diary that they left Pots- dam for that purpose on December 15, 1897. Less than a year later the Kaiser made his celebrated tour through Palestine, accompanied by his Consort and most of their suite. At the time of their going, I was spending a holiday in England, and trying hard to recuperate after an illness, in order to resume my duties. On their return the Empress presented me with a white vellum case containing a copy of thirty-six photographs which she had taken herself throughout the tour. She told me that there were only six such IMPERIAL TRAVELS 231 sets in the world, and the other five had been presented to Royalties only. I 'there- fore felt much honoured in being considered worthy to receive the sixth one. One of these photos, the Kaiser wearing a Scotch cap and smoking a pipe, leaning over the bulwarks of the " Hohenzollern," is repro- duced here. They went in state via Constantinople, calling on the Sultan en route, and con- tinued the journey throughout the Holy Land, staying some time at Jerusalem. Countess Brockdorff told me that Baron Mirbach, the master of the Kaiserin's household, together with others of the ladies and gentlemen, parted from the "Hohenzollern" at Beirut, travelling by another ship to Constantinople, where they took the Oriental express back to Berlin. She also wrote to me saying that they hoped to " receive great profit to their souls" from having seen the Holy Land; she herself did not cling to the holy places, there being too much of ritual adoration about them ; but the scenery and environ- 232 POTSDAM PRINCES ment generally was what she herself chiefly enjoyed. Before they started, I was informed that the chief object of the journey to Jerusalem was to lay the foundation-stone of a Lutheran Church, and as at that time there was quite an epidemic of church building, I was simple enough to believe them, especially as they had held forth to me on the sadness of Christianity being so little preached or practised in the Holy Land itself. In fact, the constant laying of foundation-stones for churches was quite a joke at one time, and before I left Germany I remember a facetious remark from one of the gentlemen that the only place left whereon to lay another foundation-stone was on the bald head of the Kaiserin's chamberlain ! The tour lasted about three months, and among those thirty-six photographs there are beautiful views of Constantinople, Jaffa, Jerusalem, the ruins of Baalbek, and other places of interest in the Holy Land. Then there was a photograph of IMPERIAL TRAVELS 233 the Kaiser on board the " Hohenzollern," off Beirut not the one in the Scotch cap, but wearing ordinary naval uniform, look- ing rather fierce, and with two huge baskets of fruit on either side of him. Yet another of him, wearing a sort of long mosquito veil dangling from his helmet, I suppose as a protection against the sun. The photographs were well chosen and well taken ; they made me long to travel through the Holy Land and see the places with my own eyes. CHAPTER X THE QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS IN the summer of 1897, the Kaiser being away on one of his many journeys, the Kaiserin decided to pay a visit to Tegernsee, Bavaria, the summer home of Duke Charles Theodore of Bavaria, the father of the present Queen of the Belgians. Since the latter is now so much in the public eye, it may be of interest if I relate in detail everything that diary and memory combined can furnish as to the incidents of this visit. The Kaiserin travelled incognito as the Countess of Ravensburg, and all the Princes came too. Though we were but a small party compared with the usual suite, it took three large houses to accommodate us all. These three houses were all adjacent to 34 QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 235 each other, and were placed at the Kaiserin's disposal by a German millionaire who had acquired his wealth in South Africa. The central and largest villa was called Sanger-Schloss, and in this house the Empress and one or two ladies, the youngest children, and my humble self were accom- modated. The elder boys occupied one of the smaller adjacent villas, Villa Nicol, not nearly so palatial a house as Sanger- Schloss, which was furnished in such an overpoweringly luxurious style as to make it really ugly. In my bedroom though quite a small one there was a wonderful toilet-set of silver inlaid with gold. On the bed there were no less than three bedspreads ; the top one was of exquisite real lace, the next a rich salmon-coloured satin heavily em- broidered with gold, and below that came a thick blue silk coverlet, for warmth, I suppose, though it could hardly be described as an eider-down. Every modern convenience was there telegraph communication direct to the 236 POTSDAM PRINCES house, a telephone by the Kaiserin's bed- side, electric light in every conceivable corner ; and finding these comforts so much up to date in an out-of-the-way Bavarian mountain village, it struck me that the owner must have gone to considerable expense to have them newly installed in honour of the Royal visit. The site of Sanger-Schloss was well chosen, with a glorious view over the blue waters of the Lake of Tegernsee, across which stood revealed the snow-covered peaks of the mountains beyond. Within an easy drive was the ducal castle, whither the Royal Family often repaired to visit their cousins. This ancient pile, on which the centuries have laid their beautifying hands, was originally a monastery. It makes a fine large castle, built as it is in quadrangle form, and years ago it was even larger, for the monks, finding it too big for them, pulled down portions of it and sold the blocks of stone for a sum which eventually equalled the outlay on the original building. QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 237 The Duke Charles Theodore of Bavaria was brother to the Empress of Austria and one of the finest and most respected members of the house of Wittelsbach. Married to the Princess May of Braganza, he early renounced the tedious ceremonial of a Court life, and seldom came to Berlin, except when formal occasions demanded it, preferring to devote himself to the study of medicine and the healing of men rather than their destruction by the science of war. Like all German princes, born and bred to be a soldier, he attained the rank of General in the Bavarian army ; but, contrary to all tradition, he insisted on qualifying as an oculist at the Munich University, and special permission for him to practise as one had to be issued by Imperial edict. When I was presented to him in 1897, he was sixty-seven years of age, and had built an eye hospital in Munich, where he performed many marvellous operations and effected several wonderful cures on the poor and needy. His daughter, the Princess Elisabeth, 238 POTSDAM PRINCES who afterwards in 1900 married the present King of the Belgians, used to assist him in this noble and charitable work, and it was in that connexion that I first heard of her. The training of those early days, freely and willingly given, was but the prelude to the noble and arduous work which she, the Queen of a brave and suffer- ing people, is now called upon to perform. The world knows the bravery and endurance she has shown, and is still showing, since those fateful days of August 1914, and there is little need for me to relate it here. Let me get back to the story of my visit to her girlhood's home at Tegernsee, Bavaria, in August of the year 1897. There was a big birthday luncheon party at the Duke's castle soon after our arrival. My young pupils were all asked, and an invitation also extended to me. The luncheon was to be at one o'clock, and Countess Keller (the Empress's lady- in-waiting) and I drove on ahead, a little in front of the others. The Princes were QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 239 shepherded by their governors, and followed behind us. On arrival at the castle we were met by the Mistress of the Robes, together with the Hofmarschall and others of the suite. Then we were formally presented to the Duke and Duchess, their two sons and three daughters, and one or two minor Royalties who happened to be present. The Duke and Duchess appeared to me extraordinarily young-looking, and I could hardly believe the former was as much as sixty-seven. The Duchess was very at- tractive, though rather frail-looking. I happened to have noted down the details of her dress, so, for the benefit of my feminine readers, I record it here that she wore a rich white silk, patterned with flowers and with pale heliotrope stripes. Her three daughters were all garbed alike in dresses of pale blue silk trimmed with cream lace. I have heard it said that the Queen of the Belgians is one of the best dressed women among Royalties, and that this is 2 4 o POTSDAM PRINCES true I have no doubt, as even in those early days in her country home she always appeared in the most tasteful and effective costumes. All three daughters had very good figures, and were slight ; they held themselves very well, no doubt due to their open-air life and athletic training. Princess Sophie, the eldest daughter at home, having a married sister older than herself, was tallest of the three daughters. Very fair and striking-looking, she held herself most beautifully. The Princess gave me no opportunity of talking with her on this occasion. In fact, I saw very little of her at all. I heard afterwards that she had married into the nobility, which did not surprise me, as I should quite expect " love " to rule each individual life in that beautiful old home. Though I little knew of the great future in store for Princess Elisabeth, I was more interested in her and her younger sister than in any of the others. Then at the age of twenty-one, the future Queen of the Belgians bore herself in a manner which, QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 241 though charming and unaffected, yet showed signs of regal reserve and dignity, should occasion require. Her blue eyes looked out of a delicate oval face, full of character, framed in a background of soft brown hair. Beyond several exchanges of common-places, I cannot remember much conversation with the Princess, but I feel glad that I had that opportunity of seeing a little of the home life of a Princess whose noble work in her role of Queen of the Belgians has evoked such praise and admiration from all the world. Her sister, the Princess Marie-Gabrielle, her junior by fifteen months, was very different, both in appearance and in person- ality. Strikingly beautiful, with masses of brown tresses lit by a gleam of auburn, there was about her an engaging and appealing frankness that completely won my heart. Full of fun, the gayest of the gay, I found my eyes constantly reverting from the face of one sister to the other. I had heard how the high spirits of the youngest had led her into mischief, the 16 242 POTSDAM PRINCES punishment for which was rather severe. It appears she had mixed ink in to the Holy Water at the church entrance, and, not perceiving it in the dim light, many devout nuns had returned from their devotions to unknowingly greet their Mother Superior with marked foreheads ! I could under- stand the sacrilege this would mean to a Catholic, but as one looked at the girl's beautiful face one could see nothing bad in it, and I am afraid I smiled to myself at this mischievous outcome of youth and high spirits. While I stood thus musing and studying the future Queen of the Belgians and her youngest sister, everyone else was being presented all round. Then we were mar- shalled into a marble dining-hall, where a long table was set in the centre. The Duke and Duchess and their grown-up guests all sat on one side, while the young people, my Princes, their cousins and their governors were on the other. Luncheon was served with a quiet and refined sim- plicity. The lackeys few in number QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 243 wore the Bavarian livery of blue relieved by silver buttons. The artistic shade of this blue made quite a note of colour against the background of grey marble. Just as the Kaiser is always served by his Jdgers wherever he may be, so too the Duke was served by an old retainer with a long grey beard, wearing the attractive huntsman's uniform. When serving luncheon I noticed that the servants always added "Guten Appetit." This expression or its equivalent *' Mahlzeit " is in common use in the greater part of Germany, but in the Royal Court it was not the custom to exchange this friendly greeting. The Duke brewed his own beer, or rather, he possessed a brewery, and each person was supplied with an enormous glass of beer, while beside one's plate was a yellow-tipped wooden toothpick. At the conclusion of the meal, the Duke made an appropriate speech, which, the Crown Prince later informed me, was the first he had ever made of a similar kind. 244 POTSDAM PRINCES Only before his men did he ever indulge in speech-making. The Crown Prince replied, toasting the Duke as " unser geliebter Onkel " (our beloved uncle). Everyone then repaired to the original assembly-room, where coffee was served and cigarettes were handed round, the ladies and all smoking a common enough sight nowadays, but evidently a Bavarian custom even then. Meanwhile the Duke and Duchess conversed with their guests a part of the proceedings I had somewhat dreaded, as etiquette required my offering appropriate birthday congratulations in German. Much to my grateful surprise, however, they put me at my ease by addressing me in English. Before leaving, the three daughters invited us to make a tour of inspection round the castle. One of the interesting peculiarities of this old monastery castle was the smallness of many of the rooms, which were indeed no larger than cubicles, originally used as cells by the monks. The furniture, though very old, was not as QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 245 a whole artistic, with the exception of a few pieces which were rather fine. There was much brown-coloured marble through- out the building, hailing from a neighbour- ing quarry at Kreut, a place noted for its waters and large sanatorium. The picture gallery, consisting entirely of family por- traits by old masters, occupied much of the time and absorbed the interest of the whole party, the Princes commenting on the appearance of their distant relatives and ancestors, remarks which were not always as polite as they might have been. Adjoining this gallery was a room, the Todezimmer (or death-chamber), which con- sisted entirely of portraits of the family painted after death. After this interesting but exhausting journey round the picture gallery, and the chill influence of the death - chamber, it was a relief to be taken into the bright and airy boudoirs of the Princess Elisabeth and her sisters. Each room showed traces of the personality and characteristics of its occupant. They were all prettily fur- 246 POTSDAM PRINCES nished, flowers and books were every- where, but it was in the boudoir of Bel- gium's present Queen that I noticed the most works on literature, science, art, and poetry. Her talents are known to the world to-day, but with the din of battle in its ears it sees chiefly those outstanding qualities of the " ministering angel " in the Red Cross work which the sterner needs of war have called forth. The world is apt to forget that music, art, and literature claimed her for their own in happier times. She did not play to us the day of that luncheon party so many years ago, but we saw her violin, a deeply cher- ished treasure. Later on, when I saw more of her girl- hood's home on the shores of that beautiful lake amid the grandeur of the mountains beyond, I marvelled at the peaceful simplicity of her early life. The clamour of the busy outside world hardly penetrated to this quiet spot, where one felt far away from the tumult of cities, and where even a journey to Munich (the nearest town) QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 247 was talked of by the peasants as if moving to another continent. Yet in spite of the almost sleepy peace of this mountain village, one felt that these daughters of the Duke Charles Theodore were of an intellectual activity uncommon in girls of their age. They were all bright and charming, and they and my young charges got on excellently together. In fact, the Crown Prince quite lost his heart to Princess Marie - Gabrielle, the youngest, in spite of her being senior to him by a few years. She and her sisters had exchanged a few little presents with him and the other boys. When, however, on the occasion of his getting his first chamois (on a hunting expedition with the Duke at Kreut), she presented him with a little chamois head of silver to hang on his watch chain, his delight knew no bounds. She had had it engraved with her name and the date, and he used to go round proudly exhibiting this trophy to every- one, not once but many times. There was a good deal of joking about this one 248 POTSDAM PRINCES and only chamois which fell to the Crown Prince's bag, as he happened to get it on the anniversary of a battle between France and Bavaria, which the Bavarians had won. The boys all went about declaring it was a good omen, symbolizing victory in future wars with France. I was so much impressed by the Crown Prince's affection for and his devotion to his young cousin at the time that I find I made the following bold statement in my diary: "This is Pr. W.'s first love." He certainly confided both to myself and to Countess Keller that if he could not get the Kaiserin to again visit Tegernsee the following summer, he intended to go there with his own money, travelling third class in labourer's clothes, and changing into his princely habit when he arrived at the Schloss. This plan he likewise confided to his brothers, for their co-operation, I suppose ; with the result that, though they were willing to aid and abet him, they had many a joke on love at his expense, though QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 249 generally they did not dare to twit him with it to his face. The Princess M^rie-Gabrielle was indeed a charming personality, and tlm bby-and- girl affair was very amusing. Three years later she married her cousin, Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, now the Crown Prince of that state, of a nervous and in- tolerant temperament, somewhat antagon- istic to her own, and, unlike his cousins of the house of Wittelsbach, a devotee of the strictest order to Prussian mili- tarism. Curiously enough, in later years I met Her Royal Highness again in far-off Japan. The Princess, most unfortunately, was con- fined to her bed, arid I remember being much gratified when she aske'd me to visit her sick-room. Naturally we spoke of her home at Tegernsee, where both she and her young cousins spent such happy days. Only quite recently (in 1913) she died, and since then her husband, Prince Rup- precht of Bavaria, has not seen much of 250 POTSDAM PRINCES the Queen of the Belgians, his sister-in- law and cousin. The war, of course, has made them bitter enemies, and when re- minded of her German relations Queen Elisabeth of Belgium is reported to have said that between her and her people in Bavaria a curtain of iron had fallen. (She had already lost both parents and one brother, the other is fighting against her husband.) One is so constantly reminded of war on every side and at every turn that I cannot restrain my pen from jumping ahead to the present day before it has finished with the tale of that visit to Tegernsee in the summer of 1897. There were most lovely drives and walks in the vicinity, and many a long ramble did the Princes take. Bavaria being a Roman Catholic country, one came upon wayside shrines almost everywhere, even in the loneliest spots, some of the crucifixes being beautifully painted. On moonlight nights there would often be QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS 251 music on the lake. It was perfect to sit out of doors on a glorious summer even- ing, the heavens lit by moon and stars, the ground at one's feet jewelled with the pale emerald of glow-worms, the dense shadows of the pine-clad mountains ac- centuating their snow-white crests revealed by the moonlight, while the quaint strains of Tyrolese airs came floating over the water. On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Duke's Hospital there were great doings in the evening a grand display of fireworks such as had not been seen in that quiet village for many a year. The grounds were lit with fairy lamps, and boats illuminated in like manner patrolled the lake, their occu- pants yodelling as they glided gently up and down. The Mayor of the little town made a speech from one of the boats, but from our vantage-point on the Castle balcony we could hardly hear it. The Princes and their cousins vigorously waved handkerchiefs in acknowledgment of the 252 POTSDAM PRINCES acclamations accorded them, and, after the manner of youth, they enjoyed this firework display far more than the quiet moonlight nights where nature reigned supreme. CHAPTER XI CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM CHRISTMAS never does come round without awakening in my mind re- collections of that festive occasion as spent in the German Emperor's Palace at Potsdam. Adequately to depict the brilliancy of the scene is beyond me, but the Christmas spirit which so intensely pervades the whole German nation (almost every grown- up person, rich or poor, having a Christmas tree as in England every child has a stocking) makes itself felt in the peasant's cottage, and permeates through all ranks, finding its summit in the luxury and magnificence of the Court celebrations. " Christmas is coming ! Christmas is coming ! " Over and over again I began to hear 254 POTSDAM PRINCES these words from my young charges. From an old jotting as far back as the middle of October I see the following : " Furniture wagons full of Christmas presents are now being unloaded at the Palace." This alone will convey both the enormity of the work of preparation, and the reason why the anticipation of Christ- mas begins thus early to make itself felt in the Palace. The Princes' gifts to their parents, to each other, and to the various other persons whom they were required to remember, were a great source of deliberation and anxiety. They had little or no idea of the value of money, and the younger ones especially would suggest the most absurd gifts in proportion to their extremely small private purse. I suppose it was in order to teach them relative financial values that they were kept so short of pocket-money. In accordance with the general masculine idea, they usually suggested gifts of jewellery. CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 255 Prince Au-Wi thought a diamond tiara would be a suitable gift for a lady, and I explained to him that only very rich people could afford such expensive presents. " Well, then," said he, " a ring would do nicely." " But rings are terribly dear also," I informed him. " Oh, I don't think so. I saw a beautiful one in a shop in Tegernsee, only five marks. The stone was enamel. Or what do you say to a necklace ? ' : But even to spend as much as five marks on one person was quite beyond their meagre pocket-money at that time, and as they grew older they came to under- stand it better. They had a great many people to remember, and I think the inade- quate allowance tended to encourage not exactly meanness, but at any rate an economy unnecessary for Princes of whom much largesse is expected. After much discussion and advice from their elders, their gifts would generally take the form of something made by them- 256 POTSDAM PRINCES selves poker-worked photo frames, little pictures painted for the occasion, and so forth. These, though of small intrinsic value, would be greeted by the recipient with effusive thanks, and vows of treasuring them for ever, from which the Princes got the impression that their presents were of far more value than was really the case. Besides these preparations, innumerable boxes would arrive containing warm gar- ments intended for distribution to the poor. Many of these were given by charitable people, or were the outcome of work commissioned and paid for by the Kaiserin. She gave lots of orders to destitute ladies in this way. A large barn-like room in the Neues Palais was given over to the housing and sorting of these manifold articles. I can best compare it to the large apart- ment in Friary Court, St. James's Palace, now devoted to storing the finished garments of Queen Mary's Needlework Guild. One morning early in November I was summoned by Her Majesty to help sort. My first sight of the room amazed me CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 257 it was a veritable warehouse of useful clothing of all kinds. The particular duty assigned to me was only that of separating the men's from the boys' socks the work of pairing having been done already. I had as my assistant Prince Au-Wi, who happened to be free that morning, and it may give some idea of the multitude of socks when I mention that it took us over two hours for this simple task. The work of sorting occupies several weeks, and then commences the further task of ticketing the articles for distribution among the various hospitals, homes, and orphanages for which they are intended. This is but one phase of Christmas so to speak, outside the Palace and is very distinct from that other phase within it, of which I will presently speak. The moving spirit in this immense work, who by her own indefatigable labours makes one and all strain to the utmost to help her, is the Empress herself. She is every- where, checking off long lists and super- intending everything and everyone, like 17 258 POTSDAM PRINCES the good general-in-chief she likes to be in such charitable undertakings. That is why she is so beloved among her poor, and in the hospitals, homes, and innumerable institutions in which she is a personal worker and not a mere figure-head. A little before Christmas she distributes these gifts in person. It was my privilege on several occasions to accompany her on these missions, and then one saw not an Empress in gorgeous apparel having her hand kissed but the tender, loving woman and mother among suffering children. I remember a Children's Home, with its spotlessly clean boards, snowy white beds, in which little orphans lay, most of them babies in arms. A great deal of scarlet flannel recalls itself to my mind, whether as night-shirts or bed- jackets I cannot remember. I can see a beautiful print of the " Good Shepherd " on the wall, and the Empress with a child in her arms and others holding on to her skirts. There was nothing done for effect one felt that ; it was genuine pity and love for the little CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 259 ones! What excitement the whole visit caused ! What eager delight as each toy was given ! What a noise of blowing trumpets and whistles in abandonment to childish glee ! After this in itself a huge work the Empress and her ladies turn their atten- tion to the equally big task of Christmas within the Court. To begin with, the Empress has quite a regiment of god- children, and there used to be an enormous table, covered entirely with silver cups and spoons, put aside for these alone. Then there were rows and rows of books, among which I was asked to select some English ones as suitable gifts by the Kaiserin. And here her wonderful memory is seen to its greatest advantage. She will go through list after list, selecting for this one and that, making each a personal matter "That will do for little May," or " That child is too old for this gift," and so on. She is moreover always careful, by keeping the old lists before her, never to duplicate her present the following year. 26o POTSDAM PRINCES Then came a selection of gifts for the numerous Court servants, and finally her own particular presents to other Royalties, relations, and friends. No one can imagine the weeks of fatigue and work this all means to her : a task she never seems to wish to hand on to her ladies all must bear the personal touch. As an example of this, the Mistress of the Bedchamber used to inquire what each one of us par- ticularly wanted. I was anxious for a ring, not knowing that this was the one form of jewellery Her Majesty avoided giving. After this was explained to me, I therefore chose a tie-pin ; but the Kaiserin suggested as more useful a brooch, having probably noticed that I was possessed of but a limited number. I must confess that not only do I treasure this beautiful brooch, but I have since found it most useful. There is also an interesting episode connected with it. A few years afterwards, I had the misfortune to lose a great deal of my jewellery, a burglar putting me under chloroform while I was asleep. CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 261 Curiously enough, however, he took all my jewellery except this little diamond brooch, for which I felt very grateful. In Germany, the Christmas feast is kept on Christmas Eve, the 24th December, and not on the 25th as in England. Some days previous to this, the Kaiserin, accompanied by some of her children and by most of the ladies and gentlemen, goes down regularly into what is called the Muschel-Saal, to decorate the various Christmas trees. I took no part in these decorations, as I had other duties during that time. But I went with one of the ladies on a Christmas shopping expedition for her, for the purpose of buying pre- sents. The Royal carriage was well tucked away round the corner, no one was to know who the shoppers were. What fun we had ! I remember how my companion rubbed the apples like any good German " Hausfrau " as tf to get circulation into their cheeks, and make them if possible extra red and shiny to hang on the Christmas trees. Apples and oranges are 262 POTSDAM PRINCES in great demand for this purpose in Germany. On another occasion, when the Kaiserin and many of the Court were ill with an attack of influenza, I went shop- ping alone for her. It took me from 2 till 8 p.m., and so great was the amount of purchases I had to get through, and so completely worn out were the pair of horses I started out with, that they had to be sent back and replaced by a fresh pair from the Palace. Well do I recall each incident of that first Christmas spent in the Court. In the morning I helped one of the ladies-in- waiting to divide the nuts, cakes, and apples to be given to her lackeys and servants. It is customary for each lady-in-waiting to have her own private tree in her sitting- room, and decorate another for her im- mediate attendants. My own presents to servants amounted to eighteen in number. I was next called upon to help another of the ladies in the Blue Room. There I found two long tables set for sixty people. I was asked to put three apples, two CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 263 huge cakes of Pfeffer Kuchen, or ginger- bread, an orange, and three other varieties of cakes on each plate. The room was crowded with various other presents, designated, I afterwards learned, for the servants in immediate attendance on the Kaiser and Raise rin and their family. I then lunched quietly alone, and, as ordered, was in evening dress by three o'clock. Punctually at that hour one of the ladies fetched me, and together we pro- ceeded to the Blue Room, where we found sixty servants (both men and women) ranged up in line and awaiting the gifts which they were presently to receive from the Kaiserin herself. These servants attach an exaggerated importance to the various positions they hold. Were I called upon, without previous knowledge, to select the highest in rank, I should imme- diately do so by their physical weight and rotundity ! One newly installed lackey at that time had a face remarkably like a pancake, so the Empress declared. He 264 POTSDAM PRINCES certainly was abnormally fat, even for a German lackey, and I never could trust myself to look at him at meals as he solemnly took up his stand behind a chair. On one occasion, when acting as footman to me, the carriage drove up to the Hohenzollern entrance (the big one), where there was always a crowd of men-servants. This fat man jumped down from the box and took off my rug, but in doing so he slipped and fell backwards, rolling right over his head like a ball in a most queer fashion. Apparently he was somewhat hurt, for I heard a puffing groan, followed by suppressed laughter from the footmen all round. I managed to remain silent until reaching my room but it was not easy ! Perhaps this corpulence may partly be accounted for by the unwritten law that champagnes and wines left un- finished by any person are always con- sidered the rightful perquisite of the lackey in attendance. This fact I discovered to my cost. Not caring to drink wine myself, I imposed a compulsory and un- CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 265 willing teetotalism on my particular men- servants a discovery I did not make until later, when one of the ladies laugh- ingly acquainted me of the fact, and in- formed me that for this reason I was probably most unpopular. Soon afterwards, the whole of the Court ladies and gentlemen being assembled, the Kaiserin entered, followed by the six Princes (most of them in full uniform), and also the little Princess. The boys, with the ladies and their governors, first proceeded to sing some carols among them that favourite " Stille Nacht," which is always sung on Christmas Eve, after which the Kaiserin distributed the presents in person, assisted by her sons. She had a kindly word appropriate to the occasion for each recipient, and there was a beam of very real gratitude on each servant's face. The proceedings lasted about an hour ; and, after the Kaiserin had gone, the servants went too, bearing with them their presents and their various apples, oranges, and cakes. For some reason, 266 POTSDAM PRINCES or other, there were never any from the Royal kitchen among the recipients, these servants never being seen. During the whole of this time the Emperor used to be away from the Palace walking through the streets incognito, accompanied only by one or two gentle- men, and distributing his well-known Christmas largesse among his people. There is a story, which I happen to know bears good credence, that on one occasion he came across a sentry enjoying a nap. When this guilty soldier awoke, instead of finding himself under arrest, he saw the glint of a twenty-mark gold piece (with his Emperor's head uppermost) on the muzzle of his rifle ! This silent rebuke conveyed the seriousness of his offence to the soldier's mind far more than any ordinary military punishment could have done. After the Bescherung, or presentation of gifts, I returned to my room, and one of the Princes brought me a piece of mistletoe, which the Kaiserin had sent me, with a message that I was to wear it. CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 267 ' We are all to meet again as soon as papa returns," he added, jumping up and down, first on one foot and then on the other, in the joy of anticipation. We had not long to wait, and presently were all summoned to the Kaiser's writing- room, where contrary to usual etiquette the Imperial couple were awaiting us, together with all the Royal Family. I can recall that scene now, as the first sight of it impressed itself on my mind. The tone of the room was a deep red, the rich satin curtains being of this hue, matched by the chairs and sofas ; while a large standard lamp by the writing-table shed a warm crimson glow over the scene. Four of the boys were round their father, while the younger ones clustered round their mother's chair. A happy and united family they looked, and indeed at this time they really were. Then they sang carols, in which the governors took part. The Crown Prince recited the story of the Babe of Bethlehem. Then another carol, and the next boy, 268 POTSDAM PRINCES Prince Fritz, went on with the tale of our Lord's birth, Prince Adalbert concluding it, after another carol had been sung in between. " Mamma, mamma, let's have dinner and get to the Christmas tree," was the children's universal cry, after getting suc- cessfully through the carol-singing. Then all the ladies and gentlemen, including myself, hastened to the waiting- room off the large dining-hall used on Christmas Eve, adjoining the Muschel-Saal, which contained the trees. The Christmas dinner was confined en- tirely to the Court circle and included no outside guests. All were in the full-dress uniform of their various regiments, the whole making up a brilliant and imposing display of gold braid and orders. The table was beautifully decorated. There was a most magnificent piece of silver in the centre. A special dinner- service was used, and the sparkle of cut glass and silver, together with the masses of flowers, made the whole quite a pretty CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 269 sight. I was glad to welcome among many strange dishes my old friend Christmas plum-pudding, though I noticed that few others seemed to really appreci- ate it. The dinner was a very merry one, not in the least formal, the Kaiser joking with his immediate neighbours, and everyone being imbued with the same spirit. At its con- clusion he gave a signal, and one of his fagers rang a bell and flung open wide the door which led to the Muschel-Saal. At this, the Imperial couple rose, followed by the ladies and all the rest of the company. The Princes and the little Princess especially showed tremendous excite- ment ; for the long - expected moment, dreamt of for so many weeks past, had at length arrived, and they were now going to see the Christmas trees in all their finished glory. I had had nothing to do with the decoration of these, and therefore they were all the greater surprise V^and delight to me. Shall I ever forget that wondrous scene ? 270 POTSDAM PRINCES The Muschel-Saal itself is one of the sights of Potsdam, on view to tourists when the Court is not in residence. This huge apartment, built by Frederick the Great, and used for large Court functions, has its walls entirely inset with every variety of shell (as the word " Muschel " implies), the general effect being still further heightened by pillars at intervals of many- coloured and beautifully polished stones, those most readily recalling themselves to my mind being the blue of lapis lazuli and the green of malachite. Picture these as they caught the light, like a gleaming kaleido- scope of myriad colours, and some idea of the effect may be gained. Along the whole length of the hall was an imposing array of Christmas trees, ten in all, gradu- ating in size according to the age and importance of those in whose honour they were erected. Lit by a thousand candles, the green of the foliage glistening with hoar-frost and threads of silver, an angel with outspread wings surmounting each ; to see these CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 271 Christmas trees was like a glimpse into Fairyland. The Kaiser's was the largest. Standing on red carpet, on which were wonderful figures representing the Holy Family, the Wise Men, and so on, this immense tree, with its spreading branches, towered over the rest as if to proclaim its sovereignty over them all. Then came the Kaiserin's, and all the children's, each one smaller in size according to age. At the end came again a large one, for all the ladies and gentlemen of the Court. I turned my eyes from the trees to see rows and rows of tables, placed along each side of the wall. Two specially large ones stood out apart, and the costliness of the gifts they held beggars description. These were those of the Imperial couple, and contained, I imagined, many gifts from crowned heads. Whether the fact of its being my first Christmas, and that Their Majesties prob- ably realized how bewildered I must feel 272 POTSDAM PRINCES in the midst of such gorgeous surroundings, or whether it was out of courtesy to a stranger, I do not know, but contrary to all etiquette I found myself the first to receive attention. I was told the Kaiser wished to speak to me. He was standing some distance away, beside quite a large table covered with presents. " There you are," he said, waving his hand over it. I was so mystified did not understand what he meant, and politely said so. " Why, those are all for you ! " he ex- plained airily, pointing to this big table. " I have never heard of anyone having so many presents," was my only reply, surprised and overwhelmed as I was by the munificent unexpectedness of it. He seemed quite delighted at my un- mistakable pleasure. I learned subse- quently that not only Their Majesties, but all the ladies and some of the gentlemen in the Court, had combined with true warm-heartedness to extend an extra wel- come to me a stranger in their midst. I CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 273 proceeded forthwith to try and take in at first glance as many of my presents as was possible. Their gifts to me revealed much kind forethought. The Kaiser, among other smaller presents, gave me a large silver comb, which he had sent for (he told me) from England, and which the box proved to me. He had also ordered a little tartan silk photograph frame which, he remarked, would bring back home to me. I am not Scotch, but the kindly thought was near enough. Among the Kaiserin's presents was a beautiful fan, which I sorely needed, as etiquette obliged me to carry one at every meal where Royalty was present. Everyone at the dinner that night had a table, or part of a very long one, assigned to himself or herself, and crowded with gifts. I must not forget to mention that each had its red apples, oranges, nuts, and cakes inseparable from true German Christmas festivities, and which one is supposed to carry away with one. I had scarcely time to examine my gifts 18 274 POTSDAM PRINCES before the Princes begged me to come and see their tables. After that, there was a general inspection all round, and I learned, to my surprise, that one did not carry away one's gifts that night, nor indeed for several days afterwards everyone spending the intervening evenings by further visits to the Muschel-Saal for examination at leisure of the manifold gifts. I think we were all glad of an early dis- missal that night, for the excitement of the evening following on the weeks of hard work had left everyone pretty tired out. And thus ended such a Christmas as I can never forget, for not only will the brilliancy of the whole scene ever remain in my mind, but through it all came the thought of how truly the Christmas spirit linked together with a common bond both monarch and peasant alike. I have taken this description of my first German Christmas in the year 1895 from some old jottings I made then, and which it hastaken me sometime to decipher and piece together in the above words. I have been CHRISTMAS AT POTSDAM 275 living so much in the past while doing it that I awake to the present with a rude shock. Can I picture their Christmas of 1915, and the changes wrought there by the passing of time and the coming of war ? The festivities will have been of the simplest ; for in thousands of homes sorrow and suffering reign where before all was happiness. Everywhere there are wounded soldiers, and the trains which of old carried heavy freights of Christmas gifts are now laden with heavier and sadder burdens. The Christmas dinner at the Palace too. Those generals and colonels in their brilliant uniforms cannot be present ; they have sterner work to do, and their greatest Christmas feast will be a victory involving blood and tears. CHAPTER XII THE COURT HOSPITAL GRADUALLY the strain of Court life began to tell on my health. I had foregone my holiday for the first two years, and was supposed to have had a good long one during the spring of the year 1898. I had intensely looked forward to spending it in England, not having seen my people for nearly three years ; and great, therefore, was my dis- appointment when, owing to the Kaiserin's own ill-health and retirement to Homburg- vor-der-Hohe for rest, I was asked to postpone my holiday and take charge of the Princes during her absence. I could not do otherwise than obey, but I think the added strain, when I had so much looked forward to rest and change, had a good deal to do with my illness. THE COURT HOSPITAL 277 I finally became so ill that I had to be removed to the Augusta Hospital, in close proximity to the Berlin Palace, where any courtiers who fell ill were usually packed off at once. The Imperial couple and their children were the only people permitted to be nursed in the Palace itself, with the exception of the Princes' governors, who were allowed, if their indisposition was not too serious, to keep their rooms within the Schloss. To me, this was only another small proof of the respect paid to militarism ; but even they, if suffering from the common cold, would be banished until such time as they had completely recovered. The Kaiserin's special medical adviser at that time was a Dr. Zuncker, and he was always in attendance. " He is a regular old woman," was the definition given to me by one of the Kaiser's gentlemen. His way of curing the Princes' colds was to order them a boiling hot bath, after which they would be placed between endless blankets, until the cold steamed itself out 278 POTSDAM PRINCES of them, the princely patient protesting at frequent intervals that he was quite suffi- ciently baked and could stand it no longer. In the case of more serious illness, the Princes were completely isolated in their own rooms in the wing of the particular palace where the attack overtook them. Should the disease be of an infectious nature, an immediate exit was made by the Kaiser and the rest of the family to another palace, the Empress remaining behind with her beloved child. When one of the boys had diphtheria, she herself took an active part in the nursing, together with one of the governors. I remember Prince Adalbert's having been left alone for some time once, when he was ill, and getting rather tired of his own company, he boldly wrote a little line asking me to come and sit with him, and his note expressed a lively terror that his governor would be angry with him for having done so. One thing about the Berlin Palace that struck me as being far from healthy was THE COURT HOSPITAL 279 the arrangement of the double windows in each room, together with a thick baize cloth across the window to exclude the cold air. Of course the immense size and lofti- ness of the rooms made them difficult to heat, except by steam, which was the usual method, and very hot and oppressive the rooms sometimes were in winter. German curative methods seemed to me rather brutal. Doctors never prepared one for being hurt, as they do in England ; while the Court dentist would take out a nerve without doing anything to deaden the pain, and one would be expected to go into service immediately afterwards. This happened to me once, and as I had foregone a meal to keep the dentist's appointment, I naturally felt rather aggrieved at my long hours of duty that day. I remember I hated that dentist ; he was a big fat man of a coarse-looking type, very celebrated, his charge being seven guineas per tooth. Not that I paid him anything we had all such attendance free. The Augusta Hospital, where I spent 28o POTSDAM PRINCES ten weary weeks in bed, and many more half in bed and half out, was, I think, named after the Empress Augusta, grand- mother of the present Kaiser and wife of the old Emperor William I. There was, of course, no charge to anyone connected with the Court, but I believe there were very high fees to other patients, who went there as in these days one would go to a nursing home. The sisters, nurses, and probationers all had to prove their noble birth and pledge themselves to a life of celibacy before they were allowed to take up their vocation of nursing in this particular hospital. One of them, quite a young girl, who was my special attendant, con- fided to me that since she came there she had fallen in love with a young officer, and implored me to use my influence with the Kaiserin to release her from this pledge of never marrying. I promised to do what I could as soon as I returned to the Palace, but as I gradually became worse and worse, I never did return, and consequently was not able to help her, THE COURT HOSPITAL 281 I hope the poor girl has since helped herself by pleading for release from her vows it was not as if she were a Roman Catholic nun and I hope that she has been happily married to her officer these many years. I had a little room to myself, empty and unadorned. One thing ever recalls itself to my mind, the constant sweeping and polishing of its bare boards by the little nurses. The Kaiserin was very kind in often coming to see me, but when news came of her intended visits, although my floor had been scrubbed and rubbed and polished that morning, it would be scrubbed and rubbed and polished again in feverish haste and frenzy, it being the rule to greet Royalty with ultra-cleanliness in every way. I like being clean as much as anyone, but this extra floor-rubbing meant moving my bed, moving my bed meant moving me, and that caused me intense pain. Then I must have clean sheets, clean night-dress, even though both were changed that morn- ing ; and I must needs be washed and brushed and combed. Want of thorough- 282 POTSDAM PRINCES ness is not a German failing ! I longed to be left alone to endure my pain in peace and quiet, noise was agony to my nerve-racked frame ; but in mistaken kindness everybody would send me ceaseless letters, telegrams, bouquets. Then sometimes the Princes would visit me, which also caused great excitement and preparation on the part of the sisters. These poor little sisters seemed to be worked off their feet, and a good deal of church attendance devolved upon them during their few spare hours. Their nobility of birth and natural refinement was ex- pressed in every detail of their nursing ; they were most gentle and polite, and the meals were cooked and served in a very dainty manner. In the room opposite mine was a dying girl, whose case was especially painful to me. The only child of rich parents out of sympathy with each other, she was the one link that kept them together. She often fainted away and nearly always had great difficulty in breathing ; it was painful to THE COURT HOSPITAL 283 hear her. Once her father was alone with her when she had one of these fainting fits, and, completely losing his head, he fetched some smelling-salts and poured them down her throat, which eventually killed her. Listening to her struggle for breath during the last day or two before she died did not have a good effect on my nerves, and I would continually hear that death-rattle ringing in my ears for days and days, long after it was all over. Small wonder, then, that I grew really seriously ill. The Kaiserin even postponed a visit to Wiesbaden on my account, and telegraphed to London for my sister. By the Emperor's command, a speaking-tube was installed outside my room connecting direct to the Palace, so that they might have the latest bulletins as to my con- dition. I must say they were kindness itself, and could not have done more. I had endless doctors in fact, I remember six at one visit : the Kaiser's own special physician, the Kaiserin's, the Empress Frederick's, two specialists, and the doctor 284 POTSDAM PRINCES belonging to the hospital. Yet none of them seemed to do me any good, and I was incapable of any effort on my own part to get better. They did not seem to realize that if only I had been allowed com- plete rest and freedom from all the fuss that went on daily, the little strength I still possessed would remain in reserve and help towards my recovery. At the same time, thinking death was approaching, they did all they could to comfort me. One of the sisters placed a crucifix in my hand, and uttered a beautiful prayer over me. However, my time had not yet come. On the arrival of my sister for whom they had telegraphed, I am glad to say that I was roused to a more hopeful view of life ; and being assured by her that I was not likely to die, I began to struggle against my weakness. It was then that the English chaplain, Mr. Fry, who first conceived the idea that if only I could get home to my native land I might recover, came to see me. I^can^never^forget what a help he was to THE COURT HOSPITAL 285 me in those sad days. He had been called in, in order to administer the Holy Sacrament. Well do I remember the cheerful breath he seemed to bring in from the outside world. The whole atmosphere of the hospital though one of intense kindness was shrouded with death and sorrow ; the lives of these little ladies who nursed me were so terribly solemn, so sad, and so stringent. They could only believe I was dying, and do their best to prepare me for the end. Then a new doctor came to see me, a Professor Ewald, since dead. It was he who maintained that I should never recover unless I could return to my native heath. He discussed this with the Kaiserin, but she feared the long journey for me too much to consent to his project. One day, however, he came in and told me she had consented to let me go, provided I was able to perform the feat of walking round my room just once. Seeing that a walk round my room was an absolute physical impossibility for me, 286 POTSDAM PRINCES he gently helped me out of bed, and sup- ported by his strong right arm, I was liter- ally half dragged and half carried round my room, thus earning the permission to be sent back to my dear homeland. I think Professor Ewald was the only man I met in Germany whose goodness of heart so broad- ened his ideas of perfect obedience to a Royal command as to almost break the letter of it. I never saw him again, as he was not attached to the Court, but from that moment I began to get better, in joyful anticipation of once more seeing my dear ones from whom I had been parted so long. No time was lost in making arrangements for my journey to England. Unfortunately, I was much too weak to either stand or walk even a few steps, but I am glad to say they did not make me wait until I was strong enough to do so. Lying comfortably on a sofa, I was hoisted, couch and all, into a long carriage made of glass, somewhat after the style of a funeral hearse ; and knowing that it had THE COURT HOSPITAL 287 been specially made for me removed the idea of ill-omen and the curious impression of being present at one's own funeral ; so this did not overcome me, as it otherwise might have done. In such manner, with my sister driving behind in one carriage, and the Mistress of the Bedchamber in another, did I make my way through the crowded streets of Berlin. By the Kaiser's order, I was to use his own special entrance to the station. Seeing these gates opened, the townsfolk thought their Emperor must be coming, consequently the crowd was enormous by the time I arrived there in my glass coabh. Though expecting the Kaiser, I do not think they were very disappointed at the unique sight I must have presented of a living corpse lying in state (naturally I was deathly pale), surrounded by flowers in my funereal-looking glass equipage. The Emperor's chamberlain was there to meet me, and to direct my being com- fortably placed into the railway carriage. Arrangements had been made for this to be shunted and attached to the necessary 288 POTSDAM PRINCES trains in order that there might be no change until I reached Flushing. More bouquets were presented to me, and several gold pieces were given me to use as tips on the journey, for the various stationmasters who had been instructed to inquire as to my progress and needs wherever the train stopped. Thus I left Germany, intending to return should my health permit. After many months' holiday, I was commanded to visit the Kaiserin at Windsor, with the idea of returning with her to the Father- land ; but being still rather weak, my doctor would not allow me to continue the work, and I had to definitely resign my appointment at the German Court. They continued writing to me long after I had left, the Kaiserin put me on her Christmas list, and many kind letters containing information as to the Princes and other Court news reached me from the ladies-in-waiting. Thus I learnt that no English governess was appointed in my place for a year or more. THE COURT HOSPITAL 289 Bearing in mind their kindness to me, especially during my illness, I should in- deed be ungrateful did I not acknowledge it here, in spite of my present bitter feelings through all that has since happened. INDEX Adalbert, Prince of Prussia : age at period, 27 ; announcement of proposal methods, 53 ; appearance, personal, 32 ; boyhood's personality. 32, 33 ; drawings, 63 ; examination for navy, 131 ; meeting with tramp, 47, 48 ; practical jokes, 85, 86 ; progress in English, 44, 51, 131 ; remarks on Sedan, 71 Albert I, King of the Belgians, 238 Alexandra, Queen, 143 "Alexandria," Kaiser's river steamer, 102 " Ami," 185 Aribert, Princess, 77, 78 August Wilhelm, Prince of Prussia (Prince "Au-Wi"): age at period, 28 ; appearance, personal, 28 ; birthday, 108, 109 ; boyhood's personality, 33, 34 ; choice of gifts, 255 ; illustrative art, 35-7 ; intro- duction to, 28 Augusta, German Empress, wife of William I, 165, 280 Augusta Hospital, 277, 280, 281 Augusta Victoria, German Empress, wife of William II : birthday, 133 ; charities, 145, 157, 158; dancing, 154, 155; diplomacy, 139 ; dress, 153, 1 68, 205 ; etiquette, views on, 153; furs, 154; games with children, 98, 99 ; jewels, 146, 1 66, 167, 198-200 ; letters from, 142-4 ; motherhood, 140-6; presentation to, II ; religion, 34, 141, 148, 149; riding, 154 ; sick-nursing, 278 ; travels, 218-23, 230-3 Baalbek, 232 Baden, Louise, Grand Duchess of, 72, 162, 167 Ballin, Herr, head of American - Hamburg line, 136 Bassewitz, Countess von, 39, H3 Bassewitz, Countess Ina von, 39 Bavaria, 234, 237, 249 Bedchamber, Mistress of, 12, 168, 260, 287 Beirut, 231 Bellevue Palace, 16, 162 Beresford, Lord Charles, 21 1 Berlin, sight-seeing in, 212, 214 Bescherung, 266 Bhurraputa, Prince of Siam, 198 Birthdays : general celebrations, 291 POTSDAM PRINCES 105 ; Kaiser's, 112-20 ; Prince August Wilhelm's, 108-11 ; Princess Victoria Luise's, 106, 107 Bismarck, Prince, 18, 69 Bonaparte, Napoleon, 213 Bornstedt, 216 Braganza, Princess May of, 237 Breslau, 195 Brockdorff, Countess von, Mis- tress of the Robes, 8, 116, 118, 168, 173, 231 Billow, Prince von, 18 Butt, Madame Clara, 205, 206 Capri vi, General von, 18 Cassel, 218, 223, 225 Chancellors, Imperial, 18 Charles Theodore, Duke of Bavaria, 234, 237, 239 Chestnut gathering, 96, 97 China, 226-30 Chowfa, King of Siam, 197 Christmas, 253-75 Chulalonkorn, King of Siam, 2, 197, 198 Clergy, 53, 54 Confirmation, 54 Constantinople, 231 Court : balls, 208, 209 ; dentist, 279 ; doctor, 142, 226, 230, 277 ; entourage, 7-9, 168, 169 ; etiquette, 169, 173-5 5 hairdresser, 146, 147 ; mourn- ing, 181 Dancing, mistress of, 170 Deines, General von, 13 " Dienst," 14 Dress, 162-4, 168, 183 Droshky, 193 Dryander, Pastor, 149 Easter, 161, 162 Education, military, 6l, 64-6, 73 ; moral, 47, 67, 76, 80, 81, 141 ; religious, 34, 151 Edward VII, King, 104 Eitel Friedrich, Prince of Prussia (Prince " Fritz ") : age at period, 27 ; appearance, personal, 31 ; boyhood's per- sonality, 31, 32 ; crushed foot, 148 ; drawings, 63 ; first military command, 74 ; intro- duction to, 28 ; obedience, 80 ; practical jokes, 90 ; pro- gress in English, 45 ; school at Ploen, 13 Elisabeth, Queen of the Belgians, 234, 237-43, 245, 246 Eulenburg, Count, 106 Ewald, Professor, 285 Examinations, 54 Franco- Prussian War, 68-73 Frederick, Empress, 48, 204 Frederick the Great, 65, 190, 270 Frederick William, German Crown Prince, 27 ; affection for cousin, 248 ; apology for misdeeds, 51 ; appearance, 29 ; chamois hunt, 247 ; character sketch, 29-31 ; drawings, 63 ; fear of infec- tion, 216 ; first military com- mand, 74 ; precedence over brothers, 49, 50 ; presentation to, 28 ; progress in English, INDEX 293 45, 51 ; taste in food, 10, 91 ; tyrannical tendencies, 30, 31 Fry, Mr., British chaplain, 284 Games, 99-102 German, lessons in, 22, 156 ; mistakes in, 123, 124 Gersdorfif, Fraulein von, 167 Gladstone, William E., 196 Governors, military : deport- ment, 170; dislike of early rising, 1 6 ; flirting propensi- ties, 75 ; instruction in playing soldiers, 6 1 ; mark book, 67 ; military rank, 64 ; punish- ment of pupils, 67, 68, 76 ; Spartan methods of training, 65, 66 ; supervision by head governor, 13 ; treatment in illness, 277 ; tricks played by Princes, 92, 93 Gratulations Cour, 200, 20 1 Hairdresser, 146, 147 Hake, Fraulein von, Mistress of the Bedchamber, 12 Henry, Prince of Prussia, 38, 230-3 Hockey, 98 Hohenlohe, Prince von, 18 " Hohenzollern," yacht, 230-3 Homburg-vor-der-Hbhe, 55, 276 Hopetoun, Lord, 211 Hospitals, 158, 277, 280, 281 Humboldt, 173, 213 Hunt uniform, 134 Jaffa, 232 Japan, 19, 136, 249 Jerusalem, 231 Jewellery, correct wearing of, 165 ; Kaiser's, 119; Kaiserin's, 146, 166, 167, 198-200 ; presents of, 260 Joachim, Prince of Prussia : age at period, 28 ; appearance, 40 ; boyhood's personality, 40, 41 ; nickname, 42 ; tutors, 41 Keller, Countess, 238, 248 Kennels, royal, 96 Kessler, Herr, 53 Kiel, 22, 227, 230 Konigliches Schloss, 6, 214 Kreut, 245 Lascelles, Sir Frank, 171 Li Hung-Chang, 195, 196 Lindstedt, 21, 22 Live stock, 95, 96 Louise, Queen of Prussia, 102, 103 Marie-Gabrielle, Crown Princess of Bavaria, 241, 242, 249 Marmor Palace, 209 Metz, 43, 122 Mirbach, Baron, 231 Moltke, Count, 106 Munich, 237, 246 Muschel-Saal, 204, 205, 261, 270, 274 Napoleon I, 213 Napoleon III, 69 Neues Palais, 21, 98, 189, 216, 256 New Year's Day, 200 Nicholas, Tsar of Russia, 195 294 POTSDAM PRINCES Opera, 74, 202 Oscar, Prince of Prussia : age at period, 28 ; appearance, 37 ; boyhood's personality, 37-9 ; choice of career, 46 ; hand- washing incident, 87, 88 ; health, 38 ; introduction to, 28 ; morganatic marriage, 39 Palestine, imperial tour through, 230-3 Palm Sunday, 160, 161 Paritz, 38 Peking, expedition to, 19 " Pfauen Insel," 102, 103 Photographs, 57 Picnics, 102 Picture Gallery, 93, 245 Ploen, 13 Pocket money, 96, 235 Potsdam, 8, 75, 125, 177, 195, 196, 226 Rauch, Herr von, III Recreation, 91, 94, 98, 99, 102, 108 Rescue Home, 157 Robes, Mistress of, 8, 116, 118, 168 Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, 249 Sanger-Schloss, 235 Sans Souci Palace, 213 Schleswig-Holstein, Duke Ernest of, 88, 89 Sedan, anniversary of, 68-71, 159 Siam, Kings of, 197, 198 Sithiphorn, Prince of Siam, 2, 197 Sophie Adelaide, Princess of Bavaria, 240 Stables, royal, 95 Tegernsee, 2,34-52 Theatre, 203 Todezimmer, 245 Travelling, 218-23, 22 6~33 Turkey, 178, 231 Unter-den-Linden, 17, 177 Urville, Schloss, 122, 192 Victoria Luise, Princess of Prussia : age at period, 28 ; appearance, 40 ; birthday, 106, 200 ; childhood's person- ality, 43 ; drive through Metz, 43 Victoria, Queen of England, 45, 118 Waldersee, Field Marshal Count von, 19 Waldersee, Countess von, 149 Wandel, Frau, Court dancing mistress, 170 Wanderlust, 218 Whitmonday, 103 Wilhelmshohe Palace, 218, 225 William I, German Emperor, 61, 72, 102 William II, German Emperor : anecdotes the devil of a spoon, 123 ; drinking accusa- tion, 125 ; fingerless gloves, 129 ; insult in public, 125-7 ; Queen Victoria and bread INDEX 295 and butter, 118; table con- tretemps, 130 Appearance, 118; argu- ment on English grammar, 131 ; birthday celebrations, 112-20, 159, 164; conversa- tional powers, 121 ; deformity, 119; fear of infection, 216; feeling against Jews, 119; handshake, 119; jewellery, 119 ; personality, 120, 121, 135; presentation to him, 117, 118; sense of humour, 121, 129, 130; travelling, 133, 134, 2 1 8, 221 ; uniforms, 134, 203 ; views on women, 139 Windsor, 21, 288 Wittelsbach, house of, 237 Zapfen-Streich, 211 Zeppelins, 78 Zuncker, Dr., 142, 226, 230, 277 Printed by MORRISON & GIBB LIMIT KD Edinburgh University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. 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