The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-09-01
SOCIETY FLURRIES.
RumOrs That Mr.. AstOr Will Wed
Royalty.
His suit fo1. the Daughter of the Prince
of Wales-A London
sensation.

NEW YORK, Aug. 13.-The World 5
London cable says: High life in Lon
don has taken seriously the possibility
Of William Waldorf Astor marrying
the Prince of Wales daughter, Victo-
ria. The ugly things that are said
prove that British pride is touched to
the quick. High life in London is no
more apt to be thrown into furry OF
excitement by fauciful rumors than TO
be shocked by commonplace immor-
ality. But drawing-rooms and clubs
have had no sensation like this for
months, nor have they been so wrought
up.
Ask an English woman OF the circle
her grounds for alarm for suppOsing
the son OF the Queen OF England will
permit his daughter TO marry the
grandson OF a German fur peddler and
she will answer, But the diamond he
gave the Princess Maud" 1t is fact
that Astor's New York properties have
I contributed a gem worth fortune TO
the royal bride, but the circumstance
/ that the gift was not returned is signi-
I icant. Il viii be hard for Americans
] 10 uuuEISLLLlO uON A4uIA LLA4S AGtAAAl
means, and it is this that has set Lon
/ don agog. Il is a tacit recognition OF
/ the renegade American on the plane OF
Ia British nObleman of the first rank.
Astor. with his millions of New York
rents, has been stalking high game
J To every one who has taken the trou-
/ bic TO observe the cautious, deliberate
/ course adopted by the American mil
Iionaire, ii has been apparent from the
/ very outset that he had in view some
/ definite aim, some object upon which
his ambition was cenJered, and tC
which everything, his newspapers, his
magazines and his vast wealth, were
subordinate.
After having during the first few
years OF his sOjouTn here maintained
the most reserved demeanor, that, il
fact. OF social chysaIis, he has thi:
year burst forth as a full-fiedged but
Il terfly of the most gorgeous and magni
fcent species, q butterfly, indeed, whC
manifests supreme disdain for all bu
the very choices flowers OF England:
aristocracy. At one moment ii was re
ported he had in view a marriage witt
Lady Randolph Churchill. and man!
even went so far as TO question he
sons as 10 the date fixed for the wed
, ding. But 1t has since become apparen
; that W. W. Astor flies at far highe
game. that he aims at nothing less thai
/ . match with the British royalty in tn
person Of Princess Victoria, the onl
unmarried daughter OF the Prince an
!, Princess Of Wales.
Slight as may appear the possiblllt
: OF Mr.. Astor's becoming the grandson
in-Iaw OF Queen Victoria, the matter
very. seriously discussed as not at a
/ unlikely in the drawing-rooms Of May
fair. in clubdOm and in court circle!
: And let il be understood right here a
l the very outset, there is nothing what
e soeTer in the English Constitution c
: law 10 stand in the way Of such an all
: ance. One of Queen Victoria's daugt
I ters, the charming Princess Louise,
: married TO a eommoner, her husban'
g Lord Lorne, being only accorded II
title OF Marquis by courtesy, and bein
nothing more than mere John CAM
bell in the eyes Of the law.
In marrying Princess Victoria N
e Astor would probably, like his futul
brother-in-law, receive the title Of Dul
e on his wedding day, and might becou
# as much a factor in the history of Gre
n Britain as the lamented husband
a Queen Victoria, known by the title
4 the Prince ConsoTt-