China Under the Empress Dowager/Prefatory Note
Prefatory Note
H.R.H. Prince Henry of Prussia at the
Court of Tzǔ Hsi
The Authors have been honoured by the following communication from His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Prussia concerning his audience with the Empress Dowager on the 15th of May 1898. The account herein given of the circumstances which led to the first reception of the ladies of the Diplomatic Body at the Court of and the Authors gratefully avail themselves of the opportunity which presents itself, in preparing the revised edition of this work, to make Peking it is of permanent interest, public.
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"Whilst holding an appointment as Rear-Admiral, Second in Command of the German Cruiser Squadron in China in 1898, I had the opportunity of visiting Peking and of being admitted to an audience before the late Empress Dowager and the late Emperor.
"I was given to understand that an audience of this kind was quite out of the common, and that no European had, in the past, ever stood before a Chinese Empress so long as Chinese history existed, but that it had been Her Majesty's particular wish to receive me on this occasion, probably much against the wishes of her advisers, though perhaps her object was to prove that she was the sovereign in power.
"The audience took place on the 15th of May 1898, at the Summer Palace, Wan Shau-Shan, on which occasion all the pomp of a Chinese ruler was displayed; the audience with the Emperor took place after I had been to see the Empress.
"The day before my reception, I had called on the Foreign Ministers in Peking, making the acquaintance of the British Minister, Sir Claude Macdonald and of Lady Macdonald. They both showed a keen interest in next day's event; so much so that, in the course of conversation, Lady Macdonald asked me if I would mind conveying a message to the Empress Dowager on behalf of the ladies of the Foreign Legations then residing in Peking. I consented, whereupon Lady Macdonald requested me to ask the Empress whether she would be willing to receive the ladies of the Foreign Legations at any time, or on any day, that would be convenient to Her Majesty. I promised I would do my best, should a favourable opportunity present itself, but that I could not, of course, guarantee my success, knowing nothing of the circumstances under which I would be received nor being sufficiently acquainted with Chinese etiquette.
"The occasion did present itself, however, during a lull in the conversation, when I shot my bolt and laid the question before Her Majesty, who, after some considerable hesitation, answered that she was willing to receive the ladies in about a fortnight or three weeks' time.
"On my return to Peking, this news was received with much enthusiasm, and, as far as I recollect, the ladies were received some three weeks afterwards. Should there be any doubt about my statements, I am sure Sir Claude as well as Lady Macdonald will confirm them.
"The reason why I mention these facts is that, at the time, this interview created quite a sensation and was looked upon as a new departure in Chinee history, which, to the best of my knowledge, it was. Furthermore, I refer to them because there is no mention of these proceedings in the famous book China Under the Empress Dowager, which otherwise contains so many interesting details of the late Empress's life. Probably the Authors were ignorant of the aforesaid facts, which, I think, merit to be related, inasmuch as they form a missing link in the description of the life of that great and powerful ruler, for whom, since I saw her, I always have had the greatest admiration.
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"Kiel: February 1912."