The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-23 00:00:00

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH IN
WORCESTERSHIRE.

Great disappointment was experienced at Witley
Court en Tuesday evening, when it was found
absolutely necessary that the Duke of Edinburgh,
who was the guestaof the Earl and Countess of
Dudley, should leave Witley Court by the first
train on Wednesday morning, in consequence of
the prostrate and dangerous condition of his young-
est brother, Prince Leopold. It will be remembered
that about the middle of December, the Duke and
his illustrious and Imperial bride paid a visit to
the seat of the Earl of Dudley, the Prince intend-
ing spending several days shooting over the well.
kept preserves of the noble lord. Siberian weather,
however, prevented the programme being carried
out, and his Royal Highness left Worcestershire
assuring Lord Dudley that he would at an early
date return for the purpose of joining a shooting
party over his lordship's estate. Accordingly the
Duke reached Witley on Monday evening, and on
Tuesday, in company with the Earl of Dudley, the
Russian Ambassador (Count Showvaloff), Lord
Ramsay (equerry to the Duke), Colonel Arbuthnot,
Mr. R. Moncrieffe, brother to the Countess of
Dudley, and Mr. Stephenson, of London, his Royal,
Highness visited Croydon's Coppice, Pevrell Wood,
and the New Wood, and about 700 head of game—
principally pheasants—fell to their guns. It was
intended that the Royal party would shoot over
tho Deer Barn cover, Walking Dingle, and the
Wilderness on Tuesday, but late on Tuesday
evening the Duke received a telegram concerning
the illness of Prince Leopold, which rendered
preparations for his return to Osborne indipensable,
and at a little before nine o'clock on Wednesday
morning his Royal Highness left Witley Court,
reaching Worcester by ten o'clock, whence he
proceeded to London by the ordinary train. His
lordship had arranged for ten day's shooting
through the Hanley preserves, but the severe
indisposition of Prince Peopold hat interfered
with his intentions. The Russian Ambassador
also left Witley Court last evening, and for the
present Lord Lyttelton remains the guest of the
Earl of Dudley. With respect to the supposed loss
of the Duke of Edinburgh's dressing case, when
leaving Paddington station on Monday afternoon,
it has been stated that consi▪ dervble misapprehen-
sion arose concerning the ownership of the case
stolen. It appears that Count Shonaloff, with his
servant, arrived at Paddington station nearly half-
an-hour before the departure of the train in which
the Duke travelled to Oxford, and, finding that his
Royal Highness was not going to travel by special
train, the Count's servant left the luggage and a
small 'dressing-case, containing, amongst other
i
things, several letters, n the custody of a railway
porter, while he went toproctire tickets for Oxford,
a special train conveying the Royal party from the
latter station to Worcester. Upon searching for
i
the case when he returned, ▪ t was found to be miss
ing, and the circumstances surrounding the thief.
are the more suspicious from the fact that the
porter declared he had never left the luggage
whilst in charge. We learn that the value of the
contents of the dressing case was not considerable,
neither did the letters lost refer to any corres-
pondence between the Russian and English na-
tions.