January 16, 2018 – davidbruceblog #2

Margot_Fonteyn_Cinderella_1957

MARGOT FONTEYN: PUBLIC DOMAIN PHOTOGRAPH (from Wikicommons)

As a world-famous British ballerina, Margot Fonteyn sometimes met royalty. Once, she met 15-year-old Princess Margaret. While shaking hands, Ms. Fonteyn started to lose her balance, but Princess Margaret steadied her both “expertly and unobtrusively,” causing Ms. Fonteyn to think, “They must be trained for this from childhood.” Princess Margaret once told Ms. Fonteyn after a ballet gala that was televised: “I must be careful what I say about the programme while the TV cameras are running. Deaf people can often lip-read from the screen.”

When Queen Hatshepsut ruled ancient Egypt, it was the world’s most powerful nation. When her father, Thutmose I, died without a male heir, she married her half brother, as was common in Egypt’s royal family then, and they ruled Egypt together. Her husband, Thutmose II, died after ten years of marriage, and his son by a concubine became Pharaoh Thutmose III. He was still a child, so Queen Hatshepsut became regent of Egypt. However, after seven years as regent, she named herself the King of Egypt. Because males dominated ancient Egyptian society, and because she wanted to reassure the ancient Egyptians that the kingship was in good hands, Queen Hatshepsut made sure artists portrayed her as a man. Ancient Egyptian works of art show her wearing the false beard that pharaohs wore, and they show her without breasts. She was also called “His Majesty,” although ancient scribes sometimes referred to her as “His Majesty, herself.” Most Egyptologists give her high marks because during her twenty-year reign Egypt was both prosperous and peaceful.

James M. Barrie once attended a birthday party for three-year-old Princess Margaret Rose, the daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England. About her favorite present, Mr. Barrie asked, “Is that your very own?” Princess Margaret immediately placed it between Mr. Barrie and herself, and said, “It is yours — and mine.” Later, the princess said about Mr. Barrie, “I know that man. He is my greatest friend — and I am his greatest friend.” At the princess’ birthday party, she spoke some words that Mr. Barrie liked so much that he told her that they would appear in his next play. In addition, he told her that he would pay her a royalty — she would receive a penny each time the character spoke her words on stage. Later, King George VI wrote Mr. Barrie and joked that unless he paid the princess her royalties, he would have his lawyers contact him. Mr. Barrie immediately set about acquiring a bag of bright new pennies to present to the princess.

Ramachandra Pratap Singh is a prince in Dolapur in India, and he will grow up to be a maharaja, or king, like his father. One day, the young prince had an annoying dream. He dreamed that he was attempting to ride a bicycle, but no matter how much he pedalled, he didn’t go anywhere. A crowd gathered and laughed at him. Eventually, a green-eyed girl in the crowd asked why a prince such as himself wanted to ride a bicycle. When Ramachandra answered that he wanted to have fun, the green-eyed girl said to him, “Didn’t you know that princes and kings have every power on earth except one — the right to have fun?” This dream worried Ramachandra — until his father played a joke on him and showed him that kings and princes can have fun.

During the French Revolution, King Louis XVI tried to escape in disguise as a valet from imprisonment, but a revolutionary named Jean-Baptiste Drouet saw through his disguise, recognized him, and told the people of Varennes that the king was trying to flee through their town. The townspeople stopped the King’s coach, but they wanted to be sure that in fact the King was inside. Therefore, they brought an old man who had often seen the King before to come look at the man who claimed to be a valet. The old man looked at the man, then knelt. King Louis XVI knew that he had been recognized, so he admitted, “I am indeed your King.” Shortly afterward, he was condemned to die at the guillotine.

On April 10, 1896, a Greek named Spyridon Louis won the marathon race at the Olympics held in Greece. He had trained by running after his mule as he carried water from village to village. After winning, he became famous, but he declined to take advantage of his celebrity even though his fellow Greeks offered him such things as free dinners and free haircuts. However, when King George I of Greece asked if there was anything he would like to have as a reward for winning the marathon, he replied, “Yes, please, a cart and a horse so I won’t have to run after my mule any more.”

King Christian X of Denmark was a good person. Although Denmark capitulated quickly when invaded by Germans during World War II, the Danes resisted the Holocaust by removing almost all of Denmark’s Jewish citizens to neutral Sweden, where they were safe. Adolf Hitler admired the non-Jewish citizens of Denmark and once suggested to King Christian X that the governments of the two countries be combined into one government. King Christian X replied, “I have given your suggestion much thought. But at my age, I think I am too old to rule over two countries.”

Child actress Vera Beringer played the lead role in Francis Hodgson Burnett’s play version of Little Lord Fauntleroy in London. At the conclusion of the opening night performance, Ms. Hodgson threw Vera a bouquet of roses and exclaimed, “Bless the child, and she did not forget a single word!” Later, Vera was able to meet some members of the royal family. She wasn’t sure whether to curtsey because she was a girl or bow because she was dressed as a boy. As it turned out, she didn’t have to do either because Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra kissed her.

When Gonxha (Agnes) Bojaxhiu announced her intention to become a nun, her brother Lazar, a soldier, reacted with disbelief because his sister was a vivacious young woman. But Gonxha replied that Lazar was proud to be serving a king who ruled over a few million subjects, while she would be serving the King of the entire world — God. Later, Gonxha became better known as Mother Teresa.

In 1642, the Puritans closed the theaters in England. By the time they reopened 18 years later, the boy actors who had played the roles of women had grown up and no apprentices had been available to learn to take their places. When theater-friendly King Charles II wanted to see a play, he was forced to wait until the man playing the Queen had finished shaving.

Magician Herrmann the Great once performed for Czar Alexander III of Russia, who respected brute strength. The czar took a deck of playing cards, tore them in half, then asked Herrmann the Great if he could do better. Herrmann the Great took the torn halves of the playing cards, set them on top of each other, then tore them in half again.

“Everyone likes flattery; and when you come to Royalty, you should lay it on with a trowel.” — Benjamin Disraeli.

***

Lulu (Paperback Books for Sale)

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/brucebATohioDOTedu

Smashwords (eBooks for Sale, and Free eBooks)

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bruceb