Chapter I: Front Matter

ROYAL ROMANCES OF TO-DAY

ROYAL ROMANCES
OF TO-DAY

BY

KELLOGG DURLAND

AUTHOR OF

“THE RED REIGN,” “AMONG THE FIFE MINERS,”
ETC., ETC.

NEW YORK
DUFFIELD AND COMPANY
1911

COPYRIGHT, 1911,
BY DUFFIELD AND COMPANY

TO

H. E. THE MARQUIS OF VILLALOBAR

A SLIGHT TOKEN OF A HIGH APPRECIATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD ix

PART I. QUEEN VICTORIA EUGENIE OF SPAIN

CHAPTER PAGE

I AN ISLAND PRINCESS 3

II GIRLHOOD 7

III COURTSHIP 15

IV A ROYAL WEDDING 24

V A BAPTISM OF BLOOD 36

VI WINNING A NATION’S LOVE 40

VII DON ALFONSO XIII 49

VIII A KING’S LIFE 54

IX COURAGE AND KINGSHIP 67

X THE PRINCE OF ASTURIAS 75

XI THE ROYAL NURSERY OF SPAIN 86

XII THE PRINCES AT PLAY 96

PART II. THE EMPRESS ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA OF RUSSIA

I “SUNNY” 107

II COURTSHIP AND A JOURNEY TO THE NORTHLAND 114

III ASSUMING THE BURDEN 124

IV MOTHERHOOD AND QUEENSHIP 134

V SPIRIT WHISPERINGS 149

VI FAMILY LIFE AT THE RUSSIAN COURT 169

VII THE GRAND DUCHESS OLGA 185

VIII TATIANA, MARIE AND ANASTASIE 193

IX THE TSAREVITCH 204

X THE END OF THE ROAD 210