New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-22

era months past.
General the Right Honorable Sir Henry Frederick
Ponsonby. G. c. H.. f. G.. was born at Corfu IN
1872. He was the scion OF arlstocrarc Border
family. MS father having been Maior-General sr
Frederick Ponsonby Of Waterloo fame After
receiving a professional education at the Royal NIL
itary Academy Sanfhursi. and serving for tine
in the Grenader Guards. he WAS appointed alde-ie-
camp % the Lorl-L.eutenant Of Ireland. ana IN
1919 ne made private secretary to the Far 81
Clarendon an office which he held under Lord 81
Germans and Lori Carlisle while Niceroys OK india'
In $50 he again ionel the Grenadier Guards VINO
were serving In the C-inea. and was with them
at the siege Of Sebastopol on the conclusion o.
the war the young officer OF the Guards became
attached to the Court in the capacity OF hqherry
to the Prince Consort. ana after His Roya' High
ness's death he proceeded to Canada. where re
commanded a battalion OF the Grenailer DuafuS'
April y 1870. him appointed private secretary
to the Queen.
Few people. save those acquainted with the court
and official lie Of Great Britain nave any idea OF
the arduous work onta.ed by such an once as that
which Sir Henry then entered upon. ana whlch ne
filed acceptaby for nearly quarter Oh century III
addition to the care Of the Queens own vast private
cotresnondonco the MANAGEMENT OF her estates ana
intimate affairs there is scarcely Government
office OF importance which does not Sehu every Jay
to the palace at which Her Majesty may oe re-
siding boxes Of documents, orders, warrants ana
directions. recurring the royal SlSldlui0 anu '''
diate attention: and just in the same way that cop
les of all important dispatches received at the ior
eicn Office are ut once forwarded to the Queen, So
too are al. papers OF any moment suomitleu III
draft to her before being sent abroad by the aecre
tary OF State for Foreign Affairs indeed Il -
thanks 10 this practice that war between Great
Britain and the United States was aVodei IN ISoA
In connection with the Trent affair
Work began usually before 10 o'clock in the morn
Ing the Queen looking into every matter. asking
innumerable questions, requiring minute expiaha-
tons Of every subject. often having the Leading
of her hug correspondence in a sharp peremptory
way which renders il difficult to make any susseS-
ton get her to accept any recommeid ia ti tt
or counsel. Yet Sir Henry was by virtue OF ms
Office as well OF the truss reposed IN nm by me-
roval mistress, the only person in position 20
otter advice TO influence her decisions in the rlght
and popular direction and to soothe the irritation
and Impotence OF a character which has alWays
been mperious While The queen "as out for her
daily drive after lunch 81 Henry sa bard al w2rh
clerks getting rid Of the huge load Of business piiei
I, is no secret that the members Of the royal
family. male and female young ana ola; b tibsr
There are iaalousies. dislikes and unple1santneS"
Of every kind. trouble about money matters N
/ trigues ard even downright .candals. 1t wis Sir
Henrys duty to know all about these, to make the
Queen acquainted with them according to ms us
erection. and himself to nc, on oehalt or me queen
I'm numerous Instances mediator. pe1cemaker. or
censor Many tlrHe when he had hal nara Day :
work he was summoned - the t!uee ~, pI.ta 40
apartments after dinner 70 receive instr"c4 IONS
ABOUT some more or less unpleasant ahdir "ii;,'I
would keep him busy until lons after Midnight. In,
deed he was a sort OF providence to the Queen ana
her children and il speaks well for his tact dis
erection and ccverness that he should have inVai1-
ably been regarded such by them.
Nor this by any means constitute the sum
total OF the duties which deyOved upon Sir Henry
Ponsonhy. \ portion of each day was invariably
spent in seeing visitors. in communicating 10 therl
Her Maiestys wishes and intentions, and IN procur-
Ing from them the points OF information on when
she desired to be posted previous to receiving the
IN audience. At every moment he was likely 10 oc
interrupted by the appearance of one Of the royal
servants him upstairs to Her Majesty :
apartment in order TO reply to some question which
had suddenly occurred 10 her. And th" gallant sol
dier always from his desk without a word Of
excuse and FASTENED 70 obey the summons OF his
sovereign.
But Il was especially in the moments Of grave po-
itical crises that Sir IIenrys services were OF IN
eStinable value to his royal mistress ana appreci-
atel in the highest manner By Conservatives as
well Liberals 1t Sir Henry who conducted
negotiations with the state smen to whom the queen
ntrusted the task Of forming administrations. He
may be said to have been very power in the
state. which will suffer by his disappearance al
most much VIII the Queen