The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17
"CONSUEL0 DUCHESS"
HER GRACE or MARLBOROUGH AND
HER BEAUTIFUL HOME.

Germany TO the Duke OF Marlborough and
his American Duchess. formerly Miss Con-
suelo Vanderbilt, at their historic Blen-
helm Palace. at Woodstock, has revived
interest in the home which the American
girl secured by her marriage TO the present
owner Of a famous English title
An article in Ainsiee's Magazine for De-
cember gives many readable details Of the
home life OF the Duchess. Il is by Miss
Elizabeth Banks formerly Of Baltimore.
Part of it IS as follows:
up there, where you see the big trees
and the grand gate and the high walls
and things-thats the palace where her
grace lives"
was spending a few days in the ancient
town of Woodstock. We had wandered
past the postofnce and Chaucer's house
and the Old Bear Hotel and had finally
seated ourselves to rest under tree near
a great gate at the entrance TO Bienhelm
Park.
you mean that is the home of the
Duchess Of Marlborough" ] asked.
Yes, the American Duchess" she an
swered.
Tell me about the Duchess" said
How do you like American ladies to come
here and live in your beautiful palace?'
"Oh, we like American duchesses very
much! There was Lily Duchess, you
know; she was American. That was be-
fore Consuelo Duchess came. We were
all so sorry when Lily Duchess Went away,
because we loved her, and we didn't know
what kind of lady his Grace would bring
to the palace, but when her new Grace
came and we saw her at the station,
said to my brother Her Grace is just as
nice as Lily Duchess, and such young
lady and so pretty That was three years
ago. Her Grace is very good now, espe-
cially at Christmas times She gave all
the village children a Christmas tree in
the palace, and we all got presents. And
then the other day she gave us picnic
treat in the gardens, and we had sweets
to eat We saw their lordships in their
perambula tors"
Their lordships?" 1 asked.
Eyes, Lord Blandford-he's two years
old, and Lord Ivor, who's just one year
old-her Grace's babies, you know. Lord
Blandford will be duke when he grows up
he's the heir
So the child chartered on concerning the
grand people" as she called them, who
lived in the palace She told how the young
Duchess delighted everybody when she
first arrived in the town by going shopping
at all the quaint httfe shops-how at the
village drap ers shop she hadlgone in and
ordered red flannel TO make peLticcats for
the women who lived in the almshouses.
She had told the safeswoman she wanted
enough to make ten petticoats, and The
saleswoman had said, Yes, your Grace,
three yards in each, / suppose" while the
Duchess had replied, "Oh, dear, no. f1ve
and one-han yards in each, think" And
from that time the width of the red-han-
mel petticoats to be worn by the aims
house women had been a source Of wonder
and remark in the village.
The daughter of the American william
X. Vanderb 1t is the only one Of the Eng
lish Duchesses who lives in palace. Tne
rest live in halls and castles More
over, BFenhem Palace is, without doubt,
much finer and more magnificent place
than are any of the palaces in which the
Queen of England resides. Benheim pal
ace, as is shown by the inscription over
the great gate at it's ent, ance was erected
by the bounty of Queen Anne for John,
first Duke of Marlborough, and his Ouch
ess Sarah, in 1905 and thus Queen OF
England gave TO one of her subjects
far grander place to live in than any of
the residences which have been occupied
by her successors on the throne. Hundreds
of years before, on the grounds where now
stands the palace, there had been royal
palace In which had lived several Kings
of England. The doings and misdoings of
these kinlgy residents are too in English
history, as well as by Scott in his novel
| Woodstock" When Blenhelm Park was
but forest King Henry the Second and
his courtiers INDUCED their passion for the
chase. The American Duchess lives in an
atmosphere of history, tradition and ro-
| nance. The very water that she drinks
comes from spring which, 800 years ago,
supplied the bath of the beautiful Lady
| Rcsamond, the favorite of King Henry the
| Second. The story of Fair Rosamond and
| Rosamond's Wen" Is one that the Wood
stock folk are never tired of repeating, and
| it is a pretty, though pathetic, tale.
The Underground passage has disap-
| peared and the bower of fair Rosamond is
| centuries gone, but in this nineteenth cen
| fury, with an American duchess living in
| the palace but a few yards off, so say the
villagers, every morning when the dawn is
| breaking there glides among the trees of
| Blenhelm Park figure robed in white
and crowned with roses. Through the
picket fence inclosing the well goes the
figure till 1t stops before the pool, and
| then the water reflects back form and
face of marvellous old-time beauty. IT'S
the spirit of fair Rosamond.
Consuelo, Duchess of Marlborough. heard
this story when she went to reign over
the palace erected on the site of King
Henry's home. Some water from the
spring was given her to drink, and after
tasting it she exclaimed:
1T is delicious and cold and as good as
American ice water! We will drink it al
NhS pdlNIN GfNly 0dgs % every morn
ing, with earthen jugs, one of the ser.
wants goes to the spring and carries back
water from Rosamond's well for the Ouch.
ess TO drink
Blenheim Park, 5000 acres in extent. i.
open 10 the public. Besides the park. the
place has, of course, its private grounds
and gardens. These consist of 400 acres
and can be seen by outsiders only OF
SHOW days'-that is, when the palace
and gardens are on view to any respectful,
person who is willing to pay 2 shilling.
for the privilege of seeing the finest resi-
dence in England. Tuesdays and FRIDAYS
from the LIST of June till the 1st of No
vember, are show days. The money taker
in by the lodge-keeper for the show ticket,
is given by the Duke to the Radcliffe In
Urinary, at Oxford. Years ago, In tn
times Of one of the present Dukes prede
cessors, the public was allowed to view
the palace and grounds without charge
but the public made itself a general an,
unbearable nuisance. All kinds and con
| diffnna Of mo nj ,1,s a.