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23 May 1909 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Sunday. 23rd [May 1909]. Went to morning service. Afternoon had a visit from the Prefect who came on a special mission. He said he had heard that there was some dissatisfaction in the town because the Queen has not visited the Exhibition in the Giardini– That he had reason to fear that if she left without going there the newspapers were likely to take it ill & make disagreeable remarks—that he thought it right I should know this & if I thought proper I should communicate with the Q’s people. I said I would do so at once as I knew there was very little time to do anything. I got at once into my gondola leaving the Prefect with my home party. I found Miss Knollys in her cabin busy writing & explained my errand. She went at once to see the Queen who sent for me to her cabin. There she gave me her photo: with the Empress signed by both & said she wd go to the Exhibition if she had time on her return from the Lido when she was going there to tea. I hurried home to tell the Prefect & found him just leaving my home. He said the Exn closed at 6 to the public & that it would be kept open on purpose. I told him that the Queen would be pleased if he was there to explain & he said he wd certainly do so. I was rather annoyed with Fradelletto the Director of the Exn in the matter as I feel sure it was all a plan to oblige the Q. to go to the Exn so I asked the Q. whether she would mind the Prefect being there to receive her—& so I took the wind out of Fradelletto’s sails as he wd then take the 2nd place. All this done Violet Vivian & I rowed off to the Lido having been invited by old Prince to meet Their Majesties at tea on the terrace of the Excelsior Hotel. It was a little fête organised by the English & Russian gentlemen of the suites. The new & hideous Excelsior Hotel now stands a melancholy monument of vile taste on the spot called 4 Fontane where we used to go for a quiet country picnic. In the big hall people were sitting smoking drinking tea & a band playing. The Royal party was conducted thro’ the hall to the terrace over the sea on the 1st floor. There a long table was prepared with every delicacy for tea on a long table with transverse ends. A troupe of musicians dressed in Neapolitan costume sang in the background. We all seated ourselves without any ceremony. I sat next Miss Knollys & had a pleasant talk with her. Lady Helen Vincent & her husband Sir Edgar who had just arrived were there & with them Miss Muriel Wilson who is staying with them. We sat a long time at table– The scene must have been like one of Tiepolo’s pictures. It was very hot & fine—but alas! for the poor Lido of former days. Hideous bathing machines painted in screaming colours & designs desecrated the beach & there was a look of modern vulgarity in the cabins on the shore stretching towards S. Elisabetta with half clothed men & children there where we used to take a country seaside walk & pick up shells. After we rose from the table the Q. & Empress took photographs of many of the party & we all stood about. At last the Q. said to me “It is now too late to go to the Exhibition is it not” to wh I answered—“Your Majesties are being waited for by the Prefect & other authorities & it is not out of the way as you will see on the return to the yacht.” In this way by not hearing what she said I kept her to her plan. It really was getting late & dark but I & Violet went in one of the steam launches & we got there at last. The Prefect & Sr Fradeletto were waiting for them & a small crowd of Venetians saluted them very respectfully as they went by. I had given the hint that the Exn was to be gone thro’ rapidly but when once the Q. was there she insisted upon going into all the rooms—& was interested in the room full of the work of Zorn the Swede—especially as it held pictures of the King of Sweden & the princes. It got so late & dark that by the time we arrived at the English pavillion it really was too dark to see anything so Their Majesties did not linger. This English Department is supposed to be under the special care of young Gulio, son of the Director Fradeletto. He is a pushing kind of a puppy & kept constantly putting himself forward & making remarks to the Queen who is very deaf nor could she understand his broken English & only kept repeating “Very nice.” It was quite dark before we all got home. Late in the evening the Empress left Venice to return to Russia. We saw the launches pass to the station & we knew how sad the sisters must be at parting—as they are so very attached to each other. | |
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