Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

7 articles on this Page

! THE CZAR'S HEIR. I

News
Cite
Share

THE CZAR'S HEIR. I BIRTH OF A RUSSIAN PRINCE.—GREAT REJOICING. The Czarina was on Friday delivered of a son. The event took place at the Palace of Peterhof. The infant Czarevitch has been given the name of Alexis. St. Petersburg is decorated with flags, and the streets, crowded with people, quickly pre- sented a very animated appearance. The good news of the birth of a Czarevitch is everywhere evoking demonstrations of joy. On Friday evening the city was illuminated. The foreign Ambassadors and Ministers called at the Foreign Office on Friday afternoon to offer their congratulations on the birth of a Czarevitch. The principal officials went to Peterhof on the receipt of the news, which was announced by the firing of guns. Hundreds of telegrams of congratulation have reached Peter- hof. The Czarinl1. and the newly born Czarevitch were both on Saturday morning reported to be doing well. It is the penalty of royalty (says a correspon- dent) that the light of publicity invades the most- sacred corners of the domestic hearth. Every- one in St. Petersburg knows what happened in the Peterhof when the first wail of the Imperial baby was heard. It was almost exactly 12.30 in the afternoon. Dr. Ott, the attendant on whom develved the task of ushering into the world this all-important atom of humanity, an- nounced to the waiting Czar that his great hope had at last been fulfilled. He announced it with the pardonable exultation of a man who would receive a little fee of £ 25,000. The Czar is a melancholy man. The cruel weight of autocracy, the heritage of sadness lie shares with all the Romanoff dynasty, the addi- tional bundle of his late troubles, have im- pressed his face with an expression of pathetic sadness. But he was perfectly radiant, and there were almost tears of joy in his voice as he s, i d "I can now look forward with confidence to the future. The birth of my heir, Alexis, re- joices me more than any victory of my troops." Then he went into the Czarina's bedroom, where the Empress lay, not in the old four- poster, "the blue velvet bed of Empress Eliza- beth," in which all other Czarevitches have been born, but on the light iron bedstead of English make. Walking gently to her side, the Czar kissed his wife, and with his own hands gave her a glass of iced water. Then he went into the adjoining room, where the little Alexis lay in a beautiful silken nest, draped with blue silk hangings, with the mono- gram A.R., and marked with the Imperial crown. His Imperial Highness was already dressed in cream-coloured baby clothes of ex- quisite texture, as bonny a boy as Emperor or peasant might wish to look upon. The Czar gazed at him long and fondly, and then nimself went out to announce the birth to the Court, Ministers, and members of the royal household. And champagne was drunk and joy expressed with as much fervour, if with less noise, than in unofficial Russia. There was a religious service in the chapel of the Peterhof, at which the Czar and the whole Court were present. A fortnight from now the baptism will take place with great pomp. The Imperial infant will ride in a gilt coach studded with jewels, and painted by hands long dead—those of Wat- teau and Boucher. The Czarevitch will have four godfathers and four godmothers, and the King of Denmark will probably have three crowned heads with him at the font. INFANT COLONBT. I The Czar's baby boy is still doing well. A telegram from St. Petersburg says little Prince Alexis's condition is entirely satisfactory, and his august mother is also doing well. A solemn Te Deum, attended by the Diplo- matic Body, was sung in the Kasan Cathedral on Saturday, in thanksgiving for the event. An Order of the Day has been issued, in which th& Csar appoints his newly-born heir to the command of the 5 £ st Finnish Life Guard Regiment, and of the 12th East Siberian Rifle Regiment, which are henceforth to bear the Czarewitch's name. His Imperial Highness is also placed a la suite of all the regiments of the Guard of wnich the Czar is commander. In the same Order of the Day the Czarina i3 appointed to the command of the 15th (Alexan- dra) Regiment of Dragoons. -I- SAINT'S MIRACULOUS HELP. I The people of St. Petersburg are discussing a mysterious incident, said to have occurred about a year ago. The Empress had a dream, in which she saw one of the saints of the Rus- sian Church. The saint, sympathising with her desire for an heir, told her that, if she opened his tomb and removed the relics from it, her wish would be gratified. The Empress related the dream to the Czar, but was unable to tell him the name of the saint. The Czar, much impressed, had col- lected together pictures of all the Russian saints, among whom the Empress identified St. Sera- phim as the one who had appeared in her dream. The Emperor and Empress then paid a per- sonal visit to St. Seraphim's shrine in the forest at Volga, and had the tomb opened. The body was in a state of perfect preservation, and the relics, which were found as described in the dream, were given to the Czarina. The news of their Majesties' mission became known, and the shrine of St. Seraphim is likely to become a Russian Lourdes or Mecca.

riN SPIRITLAIMI

[No title]

WOMAN'S WORLD.

I MALMORA: ;ft STOEY OF THE…

I HOME HINTS. I

[No title]