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23 September 1903 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 23rd [September 1903]. Yesterday when I was out with the Pss in the gondola coming away from the cemetery she talked of Empress Frederick’s burial & the painful thing that happened. How the dimensions of the lead coffin was by mistake made so enormous that when the Empress was laid in it she seemed far down & quite small– Pss Christian covered her with a lace veil of her own & then over that with the Union Jack—& then it was closed– But the lead coffin was so large it would not go into the outer coffin & then the weight would have been so great that it might have broken down the stairs getting it down– The lead coffin was therefore put into a railway carriage for the journey to Berlin & the outer one had to be fastened on to an open truck! The Pss said her room was next to that of the Empress & she cd hear all the knocking &c! The Emperor had wished to have all kinds of lying in state but the Empress Fred: had dictated her wishes to her sister, had them put in a sealed envelope & had it delivered over the Ct Reischach to be opened immediately after her death. H.R.H. said that our Queen Victoria’s coffin had also been made too large—that her body looked so small in it as if it were that of a child—& that the coffin was higher than that of the P. Consort & so the coping had to be raised to take it in & the cover to fit on! At dinner Pss Victoria talked of how she used to drive with her grandmama & how they always took afternoon tea with them & had a kind of moveable table fitted across the carriage to have it on—& that the Queen always gave a cup of tea to the fat old coachman & to the out rider. Pss Victoria was a favourite of the Queen’s & often stayed with her. Miss Loch is still unwell & I made her call in the Dr Sacchi who ordered her to remain in bed. The Princesses went out quite alone in the morning & came in delighted at having been walking & shopping in the Piazza. I had a visit from M. Gustave Dreyfus & his wife & a pretty daughter– They pressed me to go & see them if I should ever be in Paris & they wd show me their collection of fine works of art. Miss Holland came—the lady who lives on the Giudecca & whose house we have taken for the new Hospital. She is very rich & very benevolent & has been very kind abt the affair. Sr Trombini came to arrange abt photographing the opening of the hospital on Monday– Desideri came about making some drawing that I want done—so I was hardly still a moment till lunch. Directly after lunch dressed to go out with H.R.H. in the Arsenal steam launch. Prof. Malagola & his wife & Iduna & Ct Belmondo were invited to be of the party—& we started soon after 4, only Miss Loch not being with us. We went straight to Burano. It was a heavenly day clear & cool & bright—the sun was however hot. The Pss was expected at Burano & was met by the Brigadier & his 2 gendarmes & led in state to the lace school. She was delighted with the sight of the pretty women all at work—the clean rooms, the beautiful work– We went into the church & saw the old lace preserved there with figures in relief work on it. We thence returned to the launch & went to Torcello. There all landed but myself. I remaining behind to make the tea ready & boil the water. Connie saw there by chance a friend of hers Lady A. Duncombe & gave her a card of introduction to me– She & her husband came to the launch & we landed & talked. What I said to them I hardly know as I had suddenly began to feel so sick & ill– When they were gone I met Connie & Pss Victoria—the latter feeling also very ill, but she knew it was the result of a former sun-strike. I disgraced myself all the way home in the launch—the Pss got better & had some tea– I was so sick & had to rush into bed as soon as I got home & rest & quiet soon set me right. | |
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