Princess Beatrice narrowly escaped death yesterday in a fire at Schloss Heilgenberg, reports the New York Times. The fire was caused by her maid, carrying a candle, who "approached too near a mosquito net covering the bedstead, starting the fire to the net."
Princess Beatrice was already in bed when the fire started. She managed to get out of the room with no time to dress, and "alarmed the household.
The water hose near the bed did not work, and the entire wing of the castle was gutted. The princess lost all of her clothes and jewels.
Her husband Prince Henry of Battenberg was "sleeping in a hunt box" in the woods when the fire broke out. He hurried back to the castle after learning of the fire.
Schloss Heiligenberg is in Jugenheim, seven miles from Darmstadt.
Also burned was Beatrice's false fringe. She'd worn it for some time by that point, and didn't like being seen without it. She wore a hat when meeting with the insurance company to discuss the settlement.
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