Another Royal Who Chafed at Etiquette

Princess Letitia's hair is of raven darkness, her large eyes are black, and she possesses a superb figure. She resents the restrictions of etiquette, is addicted to flirting to an outrageous extent and is a continual source of dismay and anxiety to her uncle and brother-in-law, King Humbert.

PRINCESS LETITIA

The Italian Grandniece of the Great Napoleon

Princess Letitia of Savoy-Napoleonic Duchess of Aosta—is now 30 years old and has what is in feminine eyes the distinction of being one of the best dressed women at the Italian court. Аs the only daughter of Princess Clotilde of Italy and Prince Jerome Napoleon, this lady has a good right to her headstrong nature. She is the leader of the brilliant Italian court established at Turin, the capital of Lombardy, where is located the greatest military camp in Savoy and the chief soldiers of the Italian king.

With the latter, the Princess is in high favor on account of her esprit and unconventional manner—attributes rare at the court of Rome, She was the pioneer wheel-woman at the Italian court— an accomplishment once viewed there with much disfavor as being unwomanly. But this enthusiastic royal cyclist cared naught for that, and has since convinced Queen Margherita herself of the delights of a sport which is now practiced so assiduously in every court circle in Europe. She is an ardent amateur photographer and is very fond of taking pictures of her only child, Prince Humbert, count of Salamis.

She was on the point of marrying her cousin, the present young Duke of Aosta, when suddenly his father, who may or may not have been aware of his son's| sentiments, offered himself and was accepted by the Princess, who is exceedingly ambitious and who believed at the time that she had a better chance of becoming Queen of Italy by marrying the father than by marrying the son. The wedding took place and created a considerable amount of talk at the time, not only by reason of the fact that the bride had jilted the handsome son for the monstrously ugly father, but also because the latter was her mother's brother— that is to say, her uncle. The union was short lived. Today the Duchess is a widow.

Princess Letitia's hair is of raven darkness, her large eyes are black, and she possesses a superb figure. She resents the restrictions of etiquette, is addicted to flirting to an outrageous extent and is a continual source of dismay and anxiety to her uncle and brother-in-law, King Humbert. —New York Tribune, 1897

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

When One Queen “Cut” Another

“If Margaret had been a person of great length and breadth of vision, of surpassing sweetness of temper or of real tact, she would have gone to see the Queen and looked her prettiest, though she would have liked to scratch her eyes out.” MEOW!!

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Queen Margaret (Margherita) was the Queen consort of the Kingdom of Italy from 1878 to 1900, by her marriage to Umberto I (Humbert). –Public domain image of Margherita of Savoy, Queen of Italy

A LADY OR A TIGER… WHICH?

Society circles as well as Court circles in Europe are seriously concerned over the Florence episode of a few days ago. It seems that Queen Victoria, who was staying at Florence for a season, received a call from King Humbert, but not from Queen Margaret, nor did the latter even send a message or a token of any sort to the Empress of India. It now turns out that this curious cut was all on account of a failure of Victoria to return a call made upon her by Queen Margaret five years ago. Time heals all hurts but those of wounded pride. Such wounds never wholly heal —in the case of women, at least. Men get over such things, but women never. It may even be doubted if time is even a mollifier of this sort of wound, with women who have abundant leisure, and therefore opportunity for reflecting upon the small, as well as, the great things of life.

We are sorry for Margaret, for the great woman knows about the particulars of what happened to her five years ago, when she went over to London to do her fall shopping. At best, most people will say it was small business not to call on so distinguished a person who had come to honor the city of Florence with her presence, whatever might possibly be urged concerning the strictest etiquette in the case. Besides, Victoria is very old, was a mighty sovereign before Margaret was through vulgar fractions, and is also about to retire forever from the gaze of the public, and deserved especial consideration on that account. 

Goethe, who spent many of his early years at Court, declared that true politeness made it important and necessary to exhibit and embellish trifles even to the building them into a system of behavior. This must often demand the finest sense of what is safest to avoid, as well as what to do, and insist upon others doing. If Margaret had been a person of great length and breadth of vision, of surpassing sweetness of temper or of real tact, she would have gone to see the Queen and looked her prettiest, though she would have liked to scratch her eyes out. Or if Humbert had occupied the place in that family that a man should occupy, he would have just dragged his wife over to call. We are sorry for Margaret. – Los Angeles Herald, 1893

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette of Royal Handshakes

King Humbert of Italy... A declared foe to all kinds of Court ceremonies, he avoids having anything more to do than is absolutely necessary with his Court officials, but in his excursions in the country likes to shake hands with the farmers and peasants.

Royal Handshaking –Only Humbert of Italy Likes It —Other Monarchs and M. Faure Do Not

Kaiser Wilhelm, who lately has had many occasions for public greetings, does not at all like to offer his hand to any one in public. He rarely makes exceptions in this matter and then usually only for commanding officers at the time of the great army maneuvers. Even more than he does the Emperor of Austria abstain from the custom of handshaking, for it is only Archdukes that he greets or parts from in this fashion. The Czar when he receives Princes is wont always to shake hands cordially with his guests. Only one has he embraced so far, M. Felix Faure.

The Queen of England, with traditional feminine grace, holds out her hand to be kissed; but her son, the Prince of Wales, often seizes the opportunity of giving people a hearty handshake. The King of the Belgians is fond of holding in his, a lady's slender hand, and never fails to imprint a kiss on it; but he objects to shaking hands with men. The amiable young Queen of Holland would like, if etiquette did not forbid, to shake hands with everybody.

The simplest of all rulers, however, is King Humbert of Italy. A declared foe to all kinds of Court ceremonies, he avoids having anything more to do than is absolutely necessary with his Court officials, but in his excursions in the country likes to shake hands with the farmers and peasants. As regards President Felix Faure, he embraces the czar, kisses her gracious majesty's hand, shakes the right hand of the Queen regent of Spain's Ambassador, especially when it bears him a Golden Fleece, but considers it beneath his dignity to hold out his hand to any one as low as a secretary of legation.—Munchener Zeitung, 1899

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia