Personalities 195 



The ex-Queen of Naples (1876) >c^ 



QUITE unexpectedly I was asked by the Queen 

 herself to act as her Majesty's pilot. From 

 l^ike's Gorse a fox went away, which happened to 

 be the first her Majesty had seen going away from 

 covert. To my great amusement, she exclaimed 

 with great excitement : " I do see a fox ! I do see 

 a fox ! " I then requested her Majesty's attention, 

 and rode over a few small dipped fences. I soon 

 found, however, that my part was to get out of the 

 way, and on the many occasions when I had the 

 honour of piloting the Royal Lady she never seemed 

 to find the fences too large. 



We had a good day's sport and killed a fox. 

 When the hounds caught the fox the Queen said : 

 " Let us go away, I do not care for this part of it." 

 Her behest was, of course, obeyed. 



As time went on it became apparent that the ex- 

 Queen was passionately fond of hunting, and the 

 bigger the fence the better she liked it ! We were 

 away with a fox in a hurry one day, when a fence 

 and a brook came early in the run. The huntsman 

 and the Field did not face it. I took it, and went 

 over ; the Queen jumped it with a good start ; 

 we then jumped more fences, and were riding along 

 when I heard myself called by name, and, greatly 

 excited, her Majesty said : "There is nobody with 

 the hounds but ourselves ; if my sister were here she 

 would love it ! " I often heard remarks of this kind, 

 and in the spring it was announced that the Empress 

 of Austria intended to pay a visit to England. 



From time to time most amusing remarks would 

 fall from the ex-Queen's lips. Once she said, " I 

 do see some of the gentlemen go and look at the 



