CHAPTER I
THE COURT
King Alexander – His firmness – Industry – Short sight – Self – possession- The Prince of Montenegro’s visit – King Alexander’s habits – Appear- ance – Affability – Coup d’état – Parents – Tact — Love of order – Man- nerisms – Etiquette – Quiet strength – King Milan – His constant inter- ference — Queen Nathalie – Her influence – A fawning mercenary – The Queen’s charms – Her saintly patience – High abilities – Divorce – The unsettled succession – Prospects of King Alexander’s marriage – His ambition and future .
KING ALEXANDER certainly affords one of the most inter- esting figures in the whole Balkan peninsula . Still in his teens , he it is who bears practically the whole burthen of government , imposing his youthful will upon grey – bearded statesmen old enough to be his grand- fathers . Il est très tenace , ‘ said M. Novaković , the late Premier , to a friend of mine ; and everyone who has come into personal relations with his Majesty is agreed that , once he has made up his mind , there is no gainsaying him . But he does not by any means jump hastily to conclusions . Mistrusting his own lack of experience , he studies every question , as it arises , most thoroughly and from every point of view . ‘ Are you very busy just now ? ‘ he asked one of his Ministers the other day . Well , ‘ he continued , on receiving an would not tolerate for an instant the dreadful carica- tures which appear upon his postage – stamps .
Unlike the Prince of Bulgaria , who rejoices to vary the tedium of his life at Sofia by receiving any foreign personage who may chance to be passing through , King Alexander is very chary of seeing visitors . He is not , however , wholly inaccessible to those who are fortified with proper credentials and supported by their Legation . When you are first ushered into his study , and find a young man in tweeds , with hands which are inclined to fidget and a speech which is far from fluent , you are disposed to credit current rumours of his nervousness . But you are soon undeceived , and it dawns upon you that what you have set down to nervousness is in reality the result of precision . He is so anxious to use exactly the right word , and , moreover , the prudent word , that he is by no means quick to find it , and he likes to observe favourite attitudes with minute invariability . You will have remarked that , whenever he crosses himself in the Cathedral , the arrangement of his fingers never varies , and they touch the same points upon his uniform with mathematical precision .
His Majesty’s costume at an audience reminds you of the difference between the sans-gêne of his Court and the punctilious etiquette at Sofia . The servants wear plain liveries and most of the courtiers plain frock- coats ; you encounter none of the bright scarlet pages , magnificoes in uniform , and marshals with long white wands who swarm in the Bulgarian Court . The King may even be seen on most afternoons driving to Top- chider or about his capital in tweeds and a ‘ bowler ‘ hat , which would horrify Prince Ferdinand . Though simple in his tastes , he is , however , by no means un- mindful of the dignity or of the responsibility of his position . If he does not talk easily with you , it is not because he feels any constraint , but because ex- perience has taught him to be always on his guard against possible misunderstanding . And at the same time it is impossible to call his charm of manner in question , for you are under its spell even when he is most upon his guard .
You come away with an impression of quiet strength , which is the greatest of all strength . It is said that the reason of his success so far , and the confidence in its continuance , lie in the fact that he is the unemotional ruler of an emotional people . Come what may , he will certainly never lose his head in any emergency .
The perfection of his French he owes , with many other good gifts , to his mother , who followed the habit of her native Russia in speaking French in the family circle . This , it will be remembered , was one of the pretexts whereby M. Ristić sought to keep mother and son apart : a lady who preferred the French language could not be a fit companion for a Servian King !
The powers behind the Throne are Queen Nathalie and King Milan . The latter , though he has abandoned the Throne , still seeks to wield the sceptre . In the palace , in the army , in the remotest country town he cherishes his partisans ; and such are his infinite craft and subtlety that he must always be reckoned with as a power in the State . He has a great charm of manner , and those who have come under his thrall are ready to pardon him anything . He takes immense pains to keep up the spirit of fidelity to his interests which still survives in many parts and classes of Servia . If he hears of any of his friends losing their position , he agitates to have them reinstated ; and if any of his enemies are promoted , he protests . Nearly all cousin existed somewhere , though no one could say who or where he was . Others state confidently that the Skupshtina would elect a successor , which would be by no means an easy task . Of course , Prince Kara- georgević would put in a claim , but I could not hear that he had any partisans left in Servia . The Prince of Montenegro is quite capable of trying to add Servia to his dominions on such an emergency , though the Servians are shrewd enough to see that this is not desirable . The King is naturally alive to the necessity of averting such contingencies by a speedy marriage , but the difficulty is to find a bride at once orthodox and royal ; and the memory of the differences between the King’s parents adds to that difficulty . M. Nikolaiević , when he was Premier , made efforts to bring about the King’s marriage to Princess Marie of Greece , and was encouraged by M. Tricoupis ; but Russian intrigues caused the project to fall through .
In any case , whatever may betide , the young King’s career will be interesting to watch . He has plenty of difficulties before him , but he has tact , courage , and strength of character sufficient to overcome them all . He has also ambition , that fairy godmother’s gift ; and it is certain that when the Eastern Question shall be reopened we shall see this bold and brilliant young Sovereign play a conspicuous part in the solution thereof . Nor is it by any means impossible that he may one day do something towards realising his sub- jects ‘ constant day – dream of a revival of their old empire . Of one thing I am sure that so long as he is loyally served , and the destinies of his little kingdom remain in his hands , it will not be his fault if he fail to enhance her prosperity and maintain her brightest traditions unimpaired .
