St. Nicholas/Volume 32/Number 5/Royal Family of Italy
The Royal Family of Italy
By Felicia Buttz Clark.
The little Princess Mafalada.he young King Victor Emmanuel III has been a revelation to his people. Long before King Humbert was cruelly assassinated, reports were circulated that the heir to the throne was intellectually a weak man, a know-nothing; and it was common ‘talk that he would never be allowed by the Italians to reign over them. The unexpected happened, as it so often does, King Humbert was murdered on the 29th of July, 1900. His son assumed his rights without the slightest hint of trouble, and he has proved to be as intelligent, conscientious, and judicious a sovereign as United Italy has had.
The most attractive side of the King’s character is that which is shown in his home life. He married the Princess Helena of Montenegro because he was charmed with the beauty and simplicity of her character. She was to him the ideal of all that was womanly and lovable.
I remember very well that October day when the marriage of the Prince of Naples and the Princess of Montenegro took place in the small church which adjoins one of the most beautiful fountains of Rome. The long procession of magnificent state carriages passed through the Via Nazionale, between crowds of people. This was but the beginning of a very happy life. The young couple traveled all over Europe. As both of them were fond of yachting, they leisurely visited a great many points which were easily reached by water, meeting on the coast of Norway the Duke of Abruzzi when he returned from his trip in search of the North Pole in the ship Polar Star, or idling on the shores 
Queen Narcherita, the Mother
of the present King. of Greece and by the lovely coasts of Asia Minor when it sutted their pleasure. It was on one of these tours in the Mediterranean that the Prince of Naples met the vessel, bearing the Italian flag at half-mast, which came to announce to him the death of his father and to greet him as king. When the princess heard of the crime that made her queen, she went into her cabin and wept as if her heart would break.
Before the marriage of Victor Emmanuel, he had a yacht called the Gaiola. This, however, not affording sufficient comfort for ladies, he bought an English yacht, naming it Yela, the Montenegrin synonym for Helena, It was during the cruise on the Yela that they received the news of the assassination of King Humbert.
Since he has been king, Victor Emmanuel has had a still larger vessel, the Trinacria, fitted up for the use of his Queen and himself. There are three handsome salons and a grand dining-room. The last-mentioned is on the deck, and contains, besides the royal table, eight others, capable of seating one hundred and sixty persons. The walls and furniture are of solid oak. The King and Queen have each three spacious cabins on this beautiful yacht.
The King and Queen of Italy in one of their automobiles.
The chief diversion of Italy’s sovereign at present is automobiling. It is not at all an unusual thing to meet him, with the Queen by his side, whizzing through the streets of Rome. On these occasions he looks very little like a King, being dressed in a manner suitable for such sport. When he and the Queen are away in the summer, either at their home at Racconigi in Piedmont, which is a family residence of the princes of Savoy, or at the villa of San Rossore, near Pisa, they spend many hours in automobiles. The King owns several varieties of these vehicles. It was when he was trying a new one entirely alone with the Queen last summer that the machine got beyond his control,and the Queen’s ankle was severely sprained. The King very humbly confessed that it was all his fault, and was devotion itself to her while she was obliged to stay indoors.
A portion of the Quirinal palace in Rome was set aside by the King for his “home,” and he and the Queen furnished it in English style to suit their own taste. Here the public is not permitted to intrude. The royal couple prefer to take their meals 
The Queen with Princesses Yolanda and Mafalda. quietly with their children, without the presence of servants. Of course there are great state dinners, but these are given in the large dining-room in another part of the palace, and are served with much magnificence. These are not the times when the King and Queen have most pleasure. It is when they are alone, with their two little daughters and baby Prince Humbert, the new little heir to the throne, that they feel and enjoy the beauty of home life.
Both the daughters bear names of Savoyan princesses who lived long ago and were noble and courageous women. The first-born, Yolanda Margherita, is nearly four years of age. The second, called Mafalda (a name which is an old Italian form for Matilda), is now more than two years old. Little Humbert, Prince of Piedmont, was born September 15,1904. Both the little princesses have sweet faces, dark eyes, and gentle expressions. When they drive out with their nurses, gentlemen take off their hats and ladies bow, and the bugler of the King's guard at the barracks toots loudly as they pass by.
The King on his way to review the troops.
The Princess Yolanda is a small democrat in her way. One evening, not long ago, she was waiting for her father and mother to come to
Queen Helena of Italy. dinner. Her nurse asked her; “Whom would you like to have at dinner with you?”
She hesitated for a moment, and then said: “I should like to have papa sit there, and mama youder, Brusati [the King’s aide-de-camp] may sit by me, and on the other side I want Giovanni.”
Now, Giovanni is the man who leads the donkey on which the Princess Yolanda takes occasional rides. She is extremely fond of him, and counts him one of her dearest friends. In her childish mind there was not the slightest reason why he should not sit at the King’s table as well as any titled visitor.
Although the King and Queen are very simple in their tastes, they can be very stately. The King, in general’s uniform, and the Queen, in satin and diamonds, are most imposing when they enter the gorgeous ball-room or preside at elaborate dinners.
But it is pleasant to know that, while they thus fulfil the official and social duties of their position, a manly, noble heart beats under the uniform of blue and gold; and that beneath the royal diadem of costly gems beams the clear eye of a faithful, affectionate wife and mother.
Queen Helena and the Duchess of Ascolt riding in State.