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6 November 1903 — Stupinigi Palace, Turin | |
Friday. 6th November [1903]. The day began grey but later the sun came out as it was as lovely as ever. I remained in my room until lunch time & went to the Q. apartments at 12. Directly afterwards H.M. said that she desired to show the Picture gallery at Turin & we were told to be ready to start. I drove in the carriage with her & opposite us sat Col. Greppi & Marchese Guiccioli. We got to the Gallery in abt ¾ hour. H.M. was saluted by nearly everyone as she drove thro’ the streets of Turin. She was received at the Gallery by an official whom I seemed to know—& sure eno’ it was Prof. Botti once the director of the Accademia at Venice & who is responsible for the ruin of many a fine picture as he was paid 5 fcs a day extra for the time he spent in “restoring.” In appearance he was always like Don Quichote—& often used to come to Henry to cry poverty. I spoke to him & asked him what he was now doing & he said sadly “me hanno messo per le [illegible word]” wh I should think he was as well employed as anywhere else. He accompanied H.M. to the door of the picture gallery and there had to leave her as it was not his department. We spent a couple of hours thoroughly examining the pictures in wh H.M. seemed to have great delight & to be very intelligent. The gallery is well arranged & has some very nice pictures. One of the most interesting being the portraits of the children of our Charles 1st by Van Dyck. The Queen very kindly presented me with 6 very large photos of this picture. Just as I started on the expedition I recd a letter from Pss Charlotte of S. Meiningen & told the Queen so—we also spoke of the Empress Frederick of whom H.M. said she had been very fond & had regretted that owing to one or two small defects of character she had not made herself more popular. We spoke of my dear friend Css Pisani whom the Queen said had not been sympathetic to her. I told H.M. what a grand noble character the Css had been & what good she had done & said I regretted she had not been able to know her more for that she would have surely liked her. We returned from Turin in the same order except that Ct Zen changed places with Marchese Guiccioli. We got back to Stupinigi at 5—had tea—& the Court went to benediction & I to my room. Dined at 8 & the evening was passed in threading beads. H.M. brought out her books of Postal cards wh she had bought to illustrate all her late journey to the North & described it all with great enthusiasm. To bed at 11– | |
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