REMINISCENCES OF DIPLOMATIC LIFE LADY MACDONELL. From a recent portrait. REMINISCENCES OF DIPLOMATIC LIFE BEING STRAY MEMORIES OF PERSON ALITIES INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH SEVERAL EUROPEAN COURTS. ALSO WITH LIFE IN SOUTH AMERICA FIFTY YEARS AGO BY LADY MACDONELL ADAM CHARLES BLACK 4 SOHO SQUARE LONDON W. 1913 DEDICATED BY KIND PERMISSION TO HER GRACIOUS MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA BY HER MOST DEVOTED AND HUMBLE SERVANT ANNE MACDONELL PREFACE DURING a long illness I have amused myself and helped to pass the days by putting down a few of my early recollections and some of the shifting scenes of my life, thinking they might perchance amuse my children and grand children hereafter. I had no intention of making these reminiscences public, and it is only at the request of my family that I have done so. My little effort has no pretensions whatever, nor can it lay claim to any literary merit, but if the memories I have written down should help any one else to while away an hour, Vll Diplomatic Life their existence in book form will perhaps be justified. In conclusion, I wish to express my sincere thanks to Mrs. Morris Hands for the kind encouragement and help she has given me. A. M. Vlll CONTENTS PAGE MY PARENTS i FIRST VISITS TO ENGLAND AND MEETING WITH HUGH MACDONELL 1862-1869 . . 38 MY MARRIAGE 1870 58 MADRID 1872-1875 80 HOME 1875 II0 BERLIN 1875-1878 120 ROME 1878-1882 140 MUNICH 1882-1885 153 Rio DE JANEIRO 1885-1888 . . . .170 COPENHAGEN 1888-1892 19 LISBON 1893-1902 223 IX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Lady Macdonell Frontispiece 2. Mr. Edward Lumb CING PAt 3. Mrs. Edward Lumb J 7 4. An Argentine Caravan crossing the Parnpa . 32 5. Hugh Macdonell of Aberchalderl 6. Sir Hugh Guion Macdonell J 7. ATypical Gaucho cutting a Lasso . . 64 8. The Marquise de las Marismas . . . 81 9. Marshal Serrano 10. Amadeo II., King of Spain 9 5 11. The Marquis de Several . . . .117 12. The Crown Princess of Germany and Prussia . 124 13. The Kaiser when Prince William of Prussia . 132 14. Lady Macdonell I4 c 15. King Ludwig II. of Bavaria . . . .160 16. Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil ... 193 17. Royal Dinner-party at Fredensborg Castle . 208 1 8. The British Legation at Lisbon .. . . 225 19. Sir Hugh Guion Macdonell, P. C., G. C. M. G, C. B. ....... 240 XI