England?’
Vicky was a little terrifying; she seemed to know everything, and what was worse was fully aware that she did.
‘This is Bertie, Alice and Alfred,’ said Vicky.
Alix bowed her head; she couldn’t very well curtsey to children of her own age, although she fancied Vicky expected it.
Bertie eyed her with slight interest and Alice smiled in a friendly way. She warmed to Alice immediately. Alfred was friendly too.
‘We could play some games,’ said Mary in her role of elder cousin eager to have the children amuse themselves.
‘What games do you play in Denmark?’ asked Vicky.
‘We play hoops and with tops and letting rooms.’
‘What’s letting rooms?’ asked Vicky.
‘Well, some people have a house and the others come and look for rooms.’
‘How odd!’ said Vicky. ‘Why should they come to look for rooms?’
‘People do,’ put in Mary helpfully, ‘when they haven’t a house and want somewhere to live.’
‘Oh, the poor,’ said Vicky.
‘Sometimes we play guessing games. We are rivers going through the country and we say all the towns through which we pass. If you miss one there’s a forfeit.’
Vicky felt that she might score at that and was interested.
‘We do music too,’ said Alix; ‘and we do gymnastics. We turn somersaults.’
‘You mean over and over?’
Alix nodded.
All the children were interested now, and Alix was about to show them when Mary said: ‘Not in the drawing-room, Alix.’
Vicky said, very well, they would play the river game and she would choose the river which was the Thames and she was very soon reeling off the list of towns and winning the game.
Bertie was not interested and strolled off with Alfred who seemed like his shadow. Alice remained and said very quietly that perhaps they should have a Danish river because that would be more fair for Alix.
But by that time Vicky was tired of the river game and it was tea-time.
So those were the royal children.
Mary told her about them afterwards.
‘Vicky is the favourite,’ she said. ‘Poor Bertie is always in trouble. Of course Prince Albert is very strict and the Queen agrees with him about everything, so I’m afraid poor Bertie doesn’t have a very good time. And, Alix dear, don’t turn somersaults here because if the Prince Consort heard of it he would be very shocked and that would mean that the Queen was too, and you would never be invited to Buckingham Palace.’
‘Why?’ asked Alix. ‘My father says it is good for people. You should see him go over and over. I can do three turnovers without stopping.’
‘Yes, I expect it is good for you, but the Prince wouldn’t think it right. The Prince is just a little prim.’
‘Oh,’ said Alix solemnly; and forgot all about the royal family until Mary told her that the Queen had sent her an invitation to go to Buckingham Palace.
She was a little alarmed, partly because everyone was telling her that she must do this and not do that and she felt quite bewildered.
The Queen turned out to be small and plump and had kind blue eyes. At the same time there was something rather terrifying about her; Alix feared all the time that she would do something which was wrong. But perhaps that was because she had been warned so frequently.
The Queen asked questions about her mother and father; and whether she was enjoying England. And then she was tapped on the shoulder and understood that she was to stand aside while someone else spoke to Her Majesty.
Afterwards the children went into the gardens and she met Lenchen, who was really Helena and was two years younger than herself which was a comfort, and Louise who was two years younger than that.
They were sweet and as Vicky wasn’t there and Bertie and Alfred didn’t want to play with girls she had a very pleasant time with Alice, Lenchen and Louise. She told them about the Yellow Palace and Rumpenheim and Bernstorff; their eyes glowed with excitement and they kept asking questions.
‘Of course,’
Vicky was a little terrifying; she seemed to know everything, and what was worse was fully aware that she did.
‘This is Bertie, Alice and Alfred,’ said Vicky.
Alix bowed her head; she couldn’t very well curtsey to children of her own age, although she fancied Vicky expected it.
Bertie eyed her with slight interest and Alice smiled in a friendly way. She warmed to Alice immediately. Alfred was friendly too.
‘We could play some games,’ said Mary in her role of elder cousin eager to have the children amuse themselves.
‘What games do you play in Denmark?’ asked Vicky.
‘We play hoops and with tops and letting rooms.’
‘What’s letting rooms?’ asked Vicky.
‘Well, some people have a house and the others come and look for rooms.’
‘How odd!’ said Vicky. ‘Why should they come to look for rooms?’
‘People do,’ put in Mary helpfully, ‘when they haven’t a house and want somewhere to live.’
‘Oh, the poor,’ said Vicky.
‘Sometimes we play guessing games. We are rivers going through the country and we say all the towns through which we pass. If you miss one there’s a forfeit.’
Vicky felt that she might score at that and was interested.
‘We do music too,’ said Alix; ‘and we do gymnastics. We turn somersaults.’
‘You mean over and over?’
Alix nodded.
All the children were interested now, and Alix was about to show them when Mary said: ‘Not in the drawing-room, Alix.’
Vicky said, very well, they would play the river game and she would choose the river which was the Thames and she was very soon reeling off the list of towns and winning the game.
Bertie was not interested and strolled off with Alfred who seemed like his shadow. Alice remained and said very quietly that perhaps they should have a Danish river because that would be more fair for Alix.
But by that time Vicky was tired of the river game and it was tea-time.
So those were the royal children.
Mary told her about them afterwards.
‘Vicky is the favourite,’ she said. ‘Poor Bertie is always in trouble. Of course Prince Albert is very strict and the Queen agrees with him about everything, so I’m afraid poor Bertie doesn’t have a very good time. And, Alix dear, don’t turn somersaults here because if the Prince Consort heard of it he would be very shocked and that would mean that the Queen was too, and you would never be invited to Buckingham Palace.’
‘Why?’ asked Alix. ‘My father says it is good for people. You should see him go over and over. I can do three turnovers without stopping.’
‘Yes, I expect it is good for you, but the Prince wouldn’t think it right. The Prince is just a little prim.’
‘Oh,’ said Alix solemnly; and forgot all about the royal family until Mary told her that the Queen had sent her an invitation to go to Buckingham Palace.
She was a little alarmed, partly because everyone was telling her that she must do this and not do that and she felt quite bewildered.
The Queen turned out to be small and plump and had kind blue eyes. At the same time there was something rather terrifying about her; Alix feared all the time that she would do something which was wrong. But perhaps that was because she had been warned so frequently.
The Queen asked questions about her mother and father; and whether she was enjoying England. And then she was tapped on the shoulder and understood that she was to stand aside while someone else spoke to Her Majesty.
Afterwards the children went into the gardens and she met Lenchen, who was really Helena and was two years younger than herself which was a comfort, and Louise who was two years younger than that.
They were sweet and as Vicky wasn’t there and Bertie and Alfred didn’t want to play with girls she had a very pleasant time with Alice, Lenchen and Louise. She told them about the Yellow Palace and Rumpenheim and Bernstorff; their eyes glowed with excitement and they kept asking questions.
‘Of course,’
Similar Books
