The Italian Prince and Princesses, though they live in very beautiful Palaces, are simply brought up, and are not encouraged to have extravagant toys. Formerly, and even now sometimes, it has been the custom of foreign Ambassadors to the Italian Court, and even other sovereigns, to send gorgeous toys, and magnificent great dolls as big as the Princesses themselves, to these children. Queen Elena, fearing to have them grow accustomed to toys so much richer and better than other children, had taught them to surrender these things to poor children by sending them to hospital wards. Now the playthings of the Royal children are just ordinary toys like those that most children have and enjoy. The Queen endeavours to make her children forget that they are of Royal blood, or in any way different from other children. In this particular she is very different from the Tsaritsa, who never allows her children or her court to forget that her son will one day be an Autocrat and Tsar of all the Russias, that her daughters are Grand Duchesses, and must, therefore, be kowtowed to by every Prince and granddame of the court.{257}
While I was in Rome, Queen Elena related the following anecdote of her own children, which illustrates her simplicity of attitude toward the Italian Prince and Princesses.
The young Prince Humbert was recently put through an examination by his two older sisters, who wished to have an experience of their brother’s knowledge about colours.
Yolanda, pointing with her hand to the cloth of a piece of the furniture, asked: “What colour is this?”
“It is red,” Humbert readily answered, without mistake.
“And that other piece of furniture, what colour is it?”
For the second time the young Prince gave a right answer.
“It is green,” he said.
But Mafalda wanted to take part, too, in what they intended to be the first examination of the future King of Italy.
“What colour are your small shoes?”
Here the matter became rather complicated. As far as it was a question of usual colours, little Humbert had found no difficulty in answering, but now, looking at his small shoes, he found that they had to him an unknown colour. But he was not discouraged, especially as he perceived on his sister’s lips a light smile, which could not be interpreted as of approval. It was clear that his wily sisters were teasing him.{258}
“Well, what colour are they?”
Vanquished? Not he. “My shoes are Marron glacé,” he replied.
Yolanda and Mafalda laughed gaily at that answer, and little Humbert, considering himself scorned by them, began to weep, and ran to his mother for help.
Queen Elena endeavoured to explain to the little examiners that the Prince’s answer was right, as the little shoes had really a beautiful chestnut colour bright and brilliant.
Humbert is not fond of being quizzed by his sisters, and he is rather inclined to be resentful. Indeed, this little Crown Prince is a born soldier of a fighting disposition, and many a nursery quarrel does the Queen have to settle. He is ever ready to defend with great boldness his small soldiers, his guns and his swords and other favourite toys, which Mafalda and Yolanda attempt sometimes to take from him. Humbert has one am............