When the Emperor William succeeded to the throne in June, 1888, after the brief reign of his father, the Emperor Frederick, the Empress was already the mother of four sons — Prince Frederick WilUam (Crown Prince), Prince Eitel-Fritz, Prince Adalbert, and Prince August. A month later Prince Oscar was born, next Prince Joachim ; and the seventh of the Imperial family proved to be a daughter, the Princess Victoria, now a charming girl of eighteen, and the apple of her father's eye.
A Talented Empress
Although the Empress is called "Die Deutsche Frau " throughout the Fatherland, and has proved herself pre-eminently a good wife, mother, and housekeeper, she has many graceful accomplishments. She is very musical, and this forms a strong band of sympathy between herself and the Emperor, who is a musical composer of some ability. When he desires to give his wife an agree- able surprise he instructs the Court musicians to play some new composition under the windows of her apartments. Musical even- ings with his wife and family are one of the few recreations in which the busy Kaiser indulges. The Crown Prince plays the violin and piano with skill. He is fond of operatic music, and his habit of whistling opera airs in the corridors of the palace once brought down the Kaiser's displeasure. He thought it a lack of dignity. The young and lively Crown Princess took her husband's part, and is reported to have said that he " should whistle where he liked."
The Empress is fond of sketching, and is a clever amateur photographer. I have seen a collection of most interesting travel scenes which she photographed during her tour with the Emperor in the Holy Land. She has great taste in the arrangement of furniture and flowers, and her private apartments are among the most artistic of any Royal lady m Europe. An English photographer who was honoured by a sitting from the Empress in Berlm was surprised, and, indeed highly gratified, to find that the Empress, with the help of the Crown Prince, had arranged the apartment in which she was to be photo- graphed, and was posed at a table with a vase of her favourite flowers.
The Amateur House Decorator
Like housewives of lesser degree the Empress takes advantage of her husband's absence from home to add to the comfort of their apartments by the addition of some new chair or lounge, and, assisted bv her ladies, occasionally does a httle re-decora- tion and, like other amateurs, has her trials with paints and varnishes which do not dry as quickly as they are expected. On one occasion the Kaiser tried the effect of a newly re-decorated chair, only to find that his robe-de-chambre was also re-decorated
The Empress is particularly fond of china
and porcelain and the Royal apartments are
lull of exquisite ornaments. She takes the
keenest interest in the Imperial porcelain
works at Cadinen, and with the Emperor
suggests new designs and patterns. It • is
said that the Emperor occasionally solicits
orders from wealthy friends or foreign
potentates and jots down particulars on his
shirt cuff with a gold pencil. However
that may be, he and the Empress are very
generous in their gifts of the lovely objects
produced at their works, specimens of which
are to be found in our own Royal palaces.
Queen Alexandra has some exquisite gifts
at Sandringham, notably a porcelain
chandelier of great beauty.
The Empress has long been noted as an accomplished horsewoman. Riding has always been her favourite exercise, and her fine figure shows to excellent advantage in the saddle. She does not ride as much now as formerly, but her appearance in her smart white uniform, riding with the Emperor in Unter den Linden, used to be the delight of Berliners.
Though not a sportswoman herself, she takes a spirited interest in her husband's sporting expeditions and often accompanies him to the Imperial hunting box in Silesia, for the wild boar hunting in the autumn. She has taken part on occasions in the exciting " Parforcejagd " and received from the Kaiser the coveted twig of fir foliage for being in at the moment when the boar receives the mortal spear thrust.
Christmas at Potsdam
At no other season does the Empress show in a more attractive light than at the Yule- tide festival, when on Holy Eve, children and . grandchildren assemble at Potsdam for the celebration. It is her pretty taste which causes the Imperial apartments to look so beautiful with holly and all kinds of ever- greens, and it is her loving hand which puts the finishing touches to the Christmas trees. There is one for each member of the family down to the youngest grandchild, and all are set out on tables with presents around them in that beautiful apartment, the Hall of Shells. She sees that the waxen tapers are all lighted and the tinsel ornaments and the " Angel's Hair " duly arranged, before her husband and children enter and the family festival begins.
It has been her care, also, to see that the time-honoured dish of carp graces the Christmas banquet, and that there is plenty of pepper cake (" pfeffer kUchen ") for the young members of the family. Music plays an important part in the function, and at the Palace, as at every other home in the country, the beautiful old melody of the Fatherland is heard— " Stilie Nacht Heilige Nacht."
At this season, the Empress is lavish in her private charities and sends quantities of useful presents and toys for distribution in the various hospitals and kindred institutions in which she is interested, and also pays personal visits to the sick. She is, indeed, always a constant visitor at the leading hospitals in Berlin. When the Empress was last in London, she gave great pleasure to her compatriots here by visiting the German
