Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-05
Monday evening. May ). ls7o.
England.s ROYAL FamiIy.

Lucv Hooper London Let,eril ri ledelphia
Telegraph.
OF course one hears a good deal
about the royal family in London, for,
layal as the English people undoubt-
eddy are, they are not at all adverse to
telling scandalous stories about their
princes and ~princesses. An English
lady of rank recently told me that
much Of the popularity enjoyed by the
Princess of Wales was owing to her
beauty and the charm Of her manner.
She is also a kind friend and a most
devoted mother. But she possesses
neither depth of intellect nor force of
character sufficient to cause her to
make her mark in the high station to
which providence has called her. On
the other hand, the Duchess of Edin-
burgh owes much to her uDpopularity
to her lack of positive beauty. The
people, accustomed TO the gracious
lovliness of the Princess !of Wales
had looked to see her charms repea.eG
anew in the bride Of the younger
prince, and took a dislike to the young
Russian in consequence Of their dis
appointment. But she is a spirited
aud intelligent lady, highly accom-
Dlished, speaking severai languaees
tluently and a practiced amateur ar.
fist ana musician as well. She, too.
is a most devoted mother to the
four little ones that have blest her
five years of matrimonial life. 1t was
af,er the birth Of her first child that
she so offended the queen by refusing
to come to London for the seaso,
"GOd has given me a child" said the
girl-mother, herself little more than a
child, "and why should / leave it to
attendants and servants to fulfill my
sO-called duties at court2 There is
no prospect of my children ever sue
ceeGing to the throne, so | do not
mean to sacrifice them to court eere-
monial. | shall stay at home and take
care of my baby" And say she did
a. the dukes county seat all through
the summer and autumn. She LOOKS
like a woman with a will of her own,
and it is said that her husband is de-
voted to her, and that she rules him
completely. 1t is TO be hoped that
she has cured him of the unprincely
habit of drinking too freely, which
used to be a characteristic of his con-
duct in his bachelor days. As 20 the
Prince Of Wales, his latest escapade.
or at least the last one that has been
much talked about, is his having taken
the princess, when she was last in
Paris, to the house of a lady whom
she should never have visited, for
more reasons han one. Really Al
bert Edward is incorriqible so far as
the fair sex is concerned.
j have just been called upon to part
with some of my ideas as to the awful
state and formality that are generally
supposed to surround royalty in Eng
land. Yesterday | stopped with a
friend at the French confectionery
store Of Messrs. Boissier x Co., on
New Bond street, 10 get a cup of
coffee. While We we're there, a lady
and gentleman came ina plainly
dressed pair, without even a servant
in attendance, aud without ASSUMPTION
OF state whatever. The lady gave her
orders in a loud but not unmusieal
voice, speaking altogether in French.
selected a number Of April gifts
CAPRI fish" as they are called here)
for her children, and inspected all the
April novelties, mingling f,eely and
and un0stentatiously with the other
purchasers. In fact, the shopwoman
who waited upon the couple did not
know who they were till the gentleman
gave his name. 1t was the Duke and
Duchess Of Edinburgh. The pictures
OF the latter are far f.om doing her
justice. She has become muchthiDner.
and herface has in consequence losttbe
heavy look that was its chief defect
She has a lovely blooming complexion.
and but for a chin Of undue snortness
would be n very pretty woman. She
Is tall and graceful, and her figure wal
displayed TO advantage in tde yer,
simple jacket OF black braided cloth
that she wore over a black silk skirt
The duke is thin-iaced and insignif.
cant looking, and cannot eompar,
either in feature or physique with The
Prince of Wales. The shop SRI told
my friend that the ducness Otter
stopped there to take a cup Of choco.
late IN q similarly informal and unos
Leutatlous way. Why, even Nine. d,
MaeMahon put on more airs than that
and as to the Orleans prince anC
prineesses, they would as soon tbipl
of jumping into the Seine as of ),
miugling With the vulgar herd.