Life, 1917-07-12 · page 10 of 40
Life — July 12, 1917 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes post-World War I European royalty. The article discusses Queen Sophia of Greece, sister to the deposed German Kaiser (Emperor Wilhelm II), examining whether her family's royal lineage will survive the war's aftermath and the fall of European monarchies. The main cartoon shows a woman being given a car ride to church—a mundane modern scene contrasting with royal dignity. The accompanying sketch depicts Germany as a boiling pot, visually pun on the phrase "A watched pot that seems to be boiling." The satire targets how European royalty, once powerful, now faces uncertain futures. The juxtaposition of Queen Sophia with ordinary charitable acts and the "boiling" Germany imagery emphasizes the political upheaval destabilizing the old aristocratic order.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WILLOWBYS' WARD. 6 A FRIEND OF MOLLY'S INSISTS ON GIVING THE WILLOWBYS A LIFT TO CHURCH | Good-bye, Queen Sophia | OHENZOLLERN consorts are ruling pretty heavy in | i the royalty market these days. Exit King Constantine 1 of Greece, who had the heaviest handicap of that sort in ii Europe. Queen Sophia, the Kaiser's sister, was his wife, and fully earned her share of whatever the war is bringing to her family, Her second son, Alexander, succeeds his | } father for the time being, but it remains to be seen whether, t in the end, any of the Hohenzollern stock will be tolerated ; in positions of power in Europe. Alexander's best course would seem to be to apply to the Greek legislature for per- mission to change his name, When Greece comes to figure out what her late Prussian Queen has cost her, Alexander's usefulness as a titular monarch may seem too speculative to be risked. BY the way, old chap, are you and Mrs. Poindexter in any way related?” “ Only through having the same children.” A WATCHED POT THAT SEEMS TO BE BOILING comicbooks ary