The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-07-06
ANNOYED HER MAJESTY.
TOBACCO LOST HIM THE ORDER
OF THE GARTER.
How the Duke OF Teck Smoked a Pipe
at Windsor CsstIe-Even the Prince
Of Wales Could Not Appease the
Queen.

The Duke OF Teck was great
smoker. and seems TO have been priv
ilcgcd 10 smoke on all occasions, and
even in the houses OF his illustrlOus
rcatlOns, when other guests had TO he
most strict in their conformity 10 the
rules Of tobacco.
/ myself have seen the Duke OF Teck
driving through the Strand, accom-
panied by the princess, his wife, and
by the Grand Duchess OF Mecklen'
burg Schwerin, pulling furious clouds
from a huge cigar between his teeth.
| have also seen him. on the terrace
of Marlborough House, standing amid
group Of his royal hlghness rcla-
tlOns Of both sexes. not only smoking,
but the only one smoking. Indeed,
II Is said that this habit OF his for "A
cigar lost him the order Of the Garter,
which he very nearly received at the
time Of his daughters wedding.
There had been a family dinner At
Windsor, and the Tecks were present
and had also been invited TO sleep at
the castle. The rooms assigned TO the
duke and duchess were i'm close vicin
ity to those Of her majesty. Now, the
queen never was "a lover Of tobacco
Her late husband was not much Of
smoker. She was brought up I'm an
age when tobacco never came near a
lady's drawing room, and certainly re-
mained very far from her bOudor
Her son, the Prince Of Wales, and his
brothers. are all smokers, but 1t Is
stated that they never smoke in their
mothers presence, except in the open
air
On the particular night Of the fam
lily dinner mentioned above, after the
queen had retired to bed, and when
presumably she had made up her
mind that Francis OF Teck should be
told the following morning at break
fast that hc should have the garter,
she suddenly detected the smell OF
smoke. Her majesty at once touched
the bci beside her couch.
"Who dares To- smoke In the castle"
exclaimed the queen.
The two bcdchamber women gaZed
amazcmcnt, but they were soon or
dcrcd to find out, and for the next
few minutes there was "a dreadful
cOmmotiOn I'm that particular corner
Of Windsor castle.
There was ringing OF bells, tramping
OF scntrics, rousing Of deputy assist
ant chambCrnins from their beds. q
hasty summoning Of the lord high con
trOllcr of the household and scurry
into garments on the part Of equcrries
and deputy gold and silver sticks in
waiting. "Thc queen smells smoke"
was banded from mouth to mouth.
"Tobacco smoke" At last the smell
was traced and definitely traced. to
the apartment occupied by his high.
ness, the Duke, and her royal high
ness, the Duchess Of TeCk. The lower
court officials, such as equerries and
chambcrlans, scarcely ventured to
hammer the ducal door, but the grand
controller Of the household did ven.
turc to knock, and he hammered with
such effect upon the panels that the
Duke Of Teck himself opened the
door, attired in pajamns somewhat
short in ankle, and, awful TO relate,
"A short briarwood pipe in full opera
tion Clcnchcd between his teeth.
Ills highncss looked surprised, natur-
ally. Then he asked what was the
matter, and the chorus of royal myr-
midons yelled: "ris the pipe, your
highnCss the pipe. Her majesty
smells smokcw
But the next morning. when the
Prince OF Wales ycnturcd TO remind
his royal mother of the Duke OF Tcck
and the garter, he was peremptorly
silcnccd with: mo. Bertie, no; | am
very angry with him. He woke me up
with his awful tobacco" And the
Duke of Tcck had TO die garteress.-
London Letter.