King Victor Emanuele and Queen Elena of Italy appear to have lost patience with Elena's brother, King Peter of Serbia, writes the Marquise de Fontenoy. Until recently, the Italian sovereigns were "alone among the crown heads of Europe," to befriend Peter since his accession to the Serbian throne.
But now Victor Emanuele and Elena are disappointed with Peter, "owing to his action in reappointing to various post the officers actually concerned in the shockingly brutal murder of King Alexander and Queen Draga."
Only a few months ago, King Peter retired all of those involved, "on full pay," in order to obtain full diplomatic relations with the court of St. James and of the Netherlands. Neither "refused to hold any intercourse with him as long as their envoys were likely to be exposed to the indignity of personal contact with the murderers of the late king and queen."
But now that a British minister has been accredited to Belgrade, and the boycott is over, King Peter seems to believe that he is "at liberty to reappoint to the office the men to whom he virtually owes his throne."
Peter's sister and brother-in-law, were "mainly instrumental" is arranging a detente between himself and King Edward VII, and they now feel that he has "broken faith" not only with the British sovereign but also with themselves. The Italian sovereigns have "virtually cut themselves adrift from him."
Peter's young daughter, Princess Helen, named for her aunt, has spent each summer and fall with Queen Elena but has not been invited this year. The Italian royal family has instead invited Princess Mirko of Montenegro to say with them.
Through her mother and father, Princess Mirko is a descendant of the former Serbian dynasty of Obrenovitch, who which the slain King Alexander belonged, It is understandable that Princess Mirko's family is "naturally imbued with sentiments of hostility towards the house of Karageorgevitch," which now rules in Serbia.
Princess Helen will celebrate her 22nd birthday in November, and her father seeks a dynastic marriage for her.
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