ROYAL ROMANCES OF TO-DAY [Illustration: THE TSARITSA.] ROYAL ROMANCES OF TO-DAY BY KELLOGG DURLAND AUTHOR OF “THE RED REIGN,” “AMONG THE FIFE MINERS,” ETC., ETC. [Illustration] NEW YORK DUFFIELD AND COMPANY 1911 COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY DUFFIELD AND COMPANY TO H. E. THE MARQUIS OF VILLALOBAR A SLIGHT TOKEN OF A HIGH APPRECIATION TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ix PART I. QUEEN VICTORIA EUGENIE OF SPAIN CHAPTER PAGE I AN ISLAND PRINCESS 3 II GIRLHOOD 7 III COURTSHIP 15 IV A ROYAL WEDDING 24 V A BAPTISM OF BLOOD 36 VI WINNING A NATION’S LOVE 40 VII DON ALFONSO XIII 49 VIII A KING’S LIFE 54 IX COURAGE AND KINGSHIP 67 X THE PRINCE OF ASTURIAS 75 XI THE ROYAL NURSERY OF SPAIN 86 XII THE PRINCES AT PLAY 96 PART II. THE EMPRESS ALEXANDRA FEODOROVNA OF RUSSIA I “SUNNY” 107 II COURTSHIP AND A JOURNEY TO THE NORTHLAND 114 III ASSUMING THE BURDEN 124 IV MOTHERHOOD AND QUEENSHIP 134 V SPIRIT WHISPERINGS 149 VI FAMILY LIFE AT THE RUSSIAN COURT 169 VII THE GRAND DUCHESS OLGA 185 VIII TATIANA, MARIE AND ANASTASIE 193 IX THE TSAREVITCH 204 X THE END OF THE ROAD 210 PART III. QUEEN ELENA OF ITALY I A MOUNTAIN PRINCESS 219 II THE ROMANCE 229 III VICTOR EMMANUEL 234