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28 February 1912 — Rome | |
Wednesday. 28th [February 1912]. Got up late & lazily had breakfast in bed. Eda came in at 10 o’clock to see me & to tell me that she has a comfortable room at the Hotel Royal. We arranged that she should come back after lunch to go out with me. The Queen lunches at 12 o’cl so at 10 minutes before 12 I went down to the first floor to the small salon where one assembles to wait for Her Majesty. One goes thro’ the ceremony of wishing each other good morning & shaking hands & then one sits & chats & waits until the door to the Queen’s room open & she comes in followed by Marchesa Villamarina & we dissolve into a curtsey. H.M. goes the round shaking hands & kisses one on each cheek. When the Count Oldofredi bows to her & intimates that lunch is served, she comes to me & takes my arm that I may lead her into the dining room—we pass thro’ the room which used to be the dining room in old times, thro’ the end of the long gallery which is screened off by a heavy curtain into the fine large room wh was built last year & in which the inauguration took place the day before I left here last year. It is a very fine square room well lighted & decorated with taste. The conversation is general mostly led by the Queen but she talks so fast and pronounces so slightly that I always find it difficult to follow her—but she is an excellent linguist & varies from Italian to French or English with the greatest facility. We leave the dining room in the same order the Queen leaning on my arm & walk thro’ the 2 small rooms to the long gallery which is H.M.’s special drawing room. It is quite full of every kind of furniture & bibelots, pictures, desks, silver, flowers & is very liveable. The Queens armchair is at the end nearest the door by which we enter. Her big work basket stands by her chair full of every kind of wool out of which, at this moment she is manufacturing comforts for the soldiers at the war in Tripoli. On her left is a small table on wh stands the little Turin old clock I presented to her last winter & a photograph of her grand children. Next this table is a long sofa & H.M. begs me to take place on it next to her– At the other end the Marchesa Villamarina sits & also works away. The Duchess Laterano sits on an arm chair close to a round table wh is between her & the marchesa. This forms a 3 sided square– Opposite us on the other side of the room—Mimi sits with the 2 gentlemen working at a puzzle. As soon as our little party is settled the servants bring in a tripod & on it place a round table covered with the wherewithal for making coffee– Each cup has its own silver strainer & Mimi proceeds to fill them with water from a silver kettle– The gentlemen place a small table before each lady & place before her her portion of coffee. One waits until the coffee has passed into the cup—one removes the strainer & one drinks the refreshing beverage. The Queen talks & works away & the time passes pleasantly—till at 2.30 H.M. folds up her work, puts it away into the big basket & rises—shakes hands with each one of us & retires into her own rooms. We are then free to follow our own devices for the afternoon. I have always the offer of a carriage of wh I seldom avail myself. At 3 o’clock Eda came for me & we walked together to the Villa Malta to call on Donna Laura Minghetti who is always to be found at that hour at Princess Bülows. We were received with open arms—Da Laura looking somewhat pale but as lively & charming as ever. The Princess was also very cordial & we sat out together in the loggia of the garden chatting & laughing for some time. I told Da Laura that I propose to bring Lord Kitchener to stay with her at Bologna in July if he comes to stay with me at Venice on his way to England & that he must be made one of our convent. She clapped her hands with delight & at once dubbed him “Generalissimo dell undine dell’ossirvanza.” On leaving the Bülows she carried me off in her carriage to an antiquity shop & then to the Taverna Palace to see Ct T. who is on the sofa laid up with a hurt to his leg. After that she took me to her house & gave me tea. Eda joined me there & we afterwards walked back—I to the Palace & she to her hotel. The Queen dined at 8.30 & I descended 10 minutes before to her apartment. She took my arm to go in to the dining room & we spent the evening in the large salon—going to bed abt 11.30. | |
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