Their Majesties as I Knew Them / Personal Reminiscences of the Kings and Queens of Europe

idence was reflected in the picturesque and singularly animated aspect which the hotel or palace at which he elected to stay assumed soon after his instal

sages, leaning over the staircases; along the corridors and in the halls, the shopkeepers had improvised stalls as at Teheran, in the hope that the monarch would let fall from his august lips in passing the "Je prends" that promised wealth. In the uncouth crowd which the desire of provoking

hat a radical step had to be taken: when Muzaffr-ed-Din returned to Paris in 1902 and 1905, the applicants for fav

very curious study of the human soul and mind. Among those poor letters are many obscure, touching, comic, candid and cynical specimens; some also are absurd; others imprudent or sad. Most of them are signed; and among the signatures of these req

pecimens of "t

ffr-ed-Din, Shah of P

mpel, who has a situation in Russia; as she is ill, I would like her to remain in France. For us to live together, I should have to

will lend a favourable

y's most hum

dam

permission, I would place a sign repres

ir

el for your country. I will come straight to the point: I will ask you, O Majesty,

Your Majesty's service. All my life long,

an dentist to h

J.

reply to the poste restan

at S

ll you that I and my friends, Messieurs Jules Brunel and Abel Chenet, have t

would give us great pleasure to receive and which we hope that Your

osperity for your country, Persia. You c

t you and we remain your ve

Muzaffr-ed-Din and

.

(on my w

ugust

Maje

to have the pleasure of seeing you leave yo

a diamond, which I was taking to be rep

h my wife possessed. In consequence

ld not indict you before a French court,

French law-books likely

eech you to redress the involunt

e set as a ring, would make good a

numerous and various requests for

t, but for your coming to Paris, I should not have been robbed and if y

receive the homage of

.

rney-

x (Gironde

is Ma

d-Din, Sha

sée Palace

neral convocation of all the sovereigns of the whole world for next month, in order to open a subscription for the construction of an unprecedented fairy palace (new style and taking something from planetary nature and i

d thus have a good opportunity of

His Majesty, the Shah of Persia, the assurance of my greate

general of the Universal Co

Majesty'

.

the touc

d, with her hands folded together, entreats him to make her a present of a sum of 1,200 francs, which would ena

this letter against etiquette, with which I am n

e and obedient

.

er an exquisitely candid specimen

Maje

ropose to write to you as a friend;

sea; my husband has a few days' holiday in the course of October; I

a month; and I could not do what I wish without encroaching on my

enerosity and thought that you

be prevented from enjoying the sight of th

travelling; you will u

t the expression of my most respe

. A.

man sent th

sty, the Kin

My grandmother washed for His Majesty King Louis-Philippe of France; H. R. H. the Duc d' Aumale used to help me with my rent; show your

I

's most respe

w Bre

proposal came from a we

ir

lemnities during which you might be too much exposed to danger, I consider it my duty to bring to y

manufacture which I am able to offer t

proof against a revolver-bullet and,

of a very close and solidly-riveted coat of steel mail; the shape of the links has been sp

bullet of the regulatio

fired at a distance of 4 yards; they g

ch gives the appearance of an ordinary garment and

the back, the chest, the stomach

nt, on condition that I am supplied with the necessary measurements or, bett

use to you, I beg Your Majesty to accept

.

han their parents, they content themselves with

quite proud of incidentally sh

ir

ge railway-station, of a young public schoolboy, who, not knowing your quality, was

e country of Xerxes and Darius, the land whose children have filled the world with the fame of their exploits. And, descending the course o

re permitted to express a desire, I would humbly confess to Your Majesty that my greatest happiness would be to p

, Sire

.

e Lycée Faid

y holi

f literary style; he has less notions of f

Maje

eatly interested in motor-cars. I therefore thought that you must also have ridden the bicycle, which you now, no doubt, care less

icycles and I am left at home with mamma, because I ha

to have a bicycle, giv

sty, because he would laugh at me, and I shall take t

d anarchists attack Your Majesty,

ce Lel

9? y

is family, Fau

(Loire-Inf

r scho

rs, 3 S

of Persia in

er that you are very ri

ld watch for my first communion nex

prize-list. Now, when I ask if I shall have my watch, my father answers that he has no money and he wants it all for bread. It is not

you ve

.

request from a li

Maje

nk that this must be the best time to write to you,

y name is Mary. I love collecting autographs and so far I have been very lucky and have g

ch like to have a few li

ry kind as t

y St

re a few lively letters

s, 27

ir

t Marienbad and I am simply dy

I have the hono

ande

lles, 1

ir

so dear to my heart. Since I have heard you mentioned, I love you, Sire; I should like to be at your service. I

re, my since

eill

ly. I will start

s, 29

eur Muzaf

eur Le

asure of seeing you yesterday in the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne and

r acquaintance and to have the

tion. You can, if you do not mind, appo

you; and I may venture to add t

ieve

eur le

most co

Margue

you to destro

esty, Muzaf

uld do us the honour to come and spend a

up of

anc

ea

dè