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402 coast of Norway the Duke of Abruzzi when he returned from his trip in search of the North Pole in the ship Polar Star, or idling on the shores of Greece and by the lovely coasts of Asia Minor when it sutted their pleasure. It was on one of these tours in the Mediterranean that the Prince of Naples met the vessel, bearing the Italian flag at half-mast, which came to announce to him the death of his father and to greet him as king. When the princess heard of the crime that made her queen, she went into her cabin and wept as if her heart would break.

Before the marriage of Victor Emmanuel, he had a yacht called the Gaiola. This, however, not affording sufficient comfort for ladies, he bought an English yacht, naming it Yela, the Montenegrin synonym for Helena, It was during the cruise on the Yela that they received the news of the assassination of King Humbert.

Since he has been king, Victor Emmanuel has had a still larger vessel, the Trinacria, fitted up for the use of his Queen and himself. There are three handsome salons and a grand dining-room. The last-mentioned is on the deck, and contains, besides the royal table, eight others, capable of seating one hundred and sixty persons. The walls and furniture are of solid oak. The King and Queen have each three spacious cabins on this beautiful yacht.



The chief diversion of Italy’s sovereign at present is automobiling. It is not at all an unusual thing to meet him, with the Queen by his side, whizzing through the streets of Rome. On these occasions he looks very little like a King, being dressed in a manner suitable for such sport. When he and the Queen are away in the summer, either at their home at Racconigi in Piedmont, which is a family residence of the princes of Savoy, or at the villa of San Rossore, near Pisa, they spend many hours in automobiles. The King owns several varieties of these vehicles. It was when he was trying a new one entirely alone with the Queen last summer that the machine got beyond his control,and the Queen’s ankle was severely sprained. The King very humbly confessed that it was all his fault, and was devotion itself to her while she was obliged to stay indoors.

A portion of the Quirinal palace in Rome was set aside by the King for his “home,” and he and the Queen furnished it in English style to suit their own taste. Here the public is not permitted to intrude. The