X. ROYALTY IN DISGUISE 168 XI. ROYAL GAMESTERS 184 XII. ROYALTY ON THE TURF 204 XIII. ROYAL SPORTS AND PASTIMES 223 XIV. COURT DWARFS 239 XV. ROYAL PETS 247 XVI. ROYAL JOKES AND HUMOUR 264 XVII. ROYALTY AND FASHION 288 XVIII. ROYALTY WHIPT AND MARRIED BY PROXY 306 XIX. COURT JESTERS AND FOOLS 313 XX. ROYALTY AND THE DRAMA 334 XXI. ROYAL AUTHORS 357 XXII. ROYAL MUSICIANS 376 XXIII. SUPERSTITIONS OF ROYALTY 395 INDEX 433 LIST OF ETCHED PORTRAITS QUEEN ELIZABETH _Frontispiece_ EDWARD I. _To face page_ 46 EDWARD III. ” 136 CHARLES II. ” 210 CHARLES IX., KING OF FRANCE ” 240 LOUIS XIV. ” 348 ROYALTY CHAPTER I ROYALTY AT PLAY The great Mogul Emperor was a chess player, and was generous enough to rejoice when he was beaten by one of his courtiers, which was the exact reverse of Philip II. of Spain, who, when a Spanish grandee had won every game in which he had played against the King, could not conceal his vexation. Whereupon the skilful but injudicious player, returning home, said to his family: “My children, we have nothing more to do at Court. There we must henceforth expect no favour; the King is offended because I have won of him every game of chess.” Napoleon did not like defeat even at chess, for, if he perceived his antagonist gaining upon him, he would with one hasty movement sweep board and pieces off the table on to the ground. In some cases, however, if we are to believe the traditions of history, chess has been responsible for some serious fracas. Thus a story is told of William the Conqueror, how when a young man he was invited to the Court of the French king, and during his stay there was one day engaged at chess with the King’s eldest son, when a dispute arose concerning a certain move. William, annoyed at a certain remark made by his antagonist, struck him with the chess-board, which “obliged him to make a precipitate retreat from France to avoid the consequences of so rash an act.”