The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-23
ALBERT EDWARD
AS A CLUBMAN

Now that King Edwards connection
with the London clubs has become less
intimate It may be OF interest TO record
some facts ana incidents which In the
old days could scarcely have been pub
lshed with the same propriety. The
hrst duty Of the clubman is 10 be club
oaole. and II all the clubmen IN London
were asked who i'm their opinion Is the
most typical clubman OF the day they
would unhesitatingly award the palm To
the 'hrst gentleman In Europe" In the
early days King Edward when the
frince or Wales. like his brother. the
late Duke OF Sake Coburg and Gotha.
made frequent use OF Whites and was
also a member OF certain service clubs.
as the United Service not 10 speak OF
the hoyal Yacht squadron and the Jock.
ey ciuo. But about 30 years ago his
majesty took steps TO establish a new
club. 10 which the name OF the MARI
borough was given, and II is 10 this
club that one must turn for details OF
his life as clubman
Ills majesty was his own chairman
OF the committees. over whose meetings
ne made II his duty 20 preside. AS one
Diack pail excludes. IL will be readily
understood that no one would have had
chance OF election who was not per-
sonally agreeable TO him. The list OF
candidates at any time is not a large
one. and in the ordinary way a man
would expect 10 have his fate decided
within couple OF years There are
about 600 members. each OF whom pays
an entrance fee OF $3.50 and an annual
subscription OF $50 and to all intents
ana purposes the club is made up of the
best social elements in England
TO take few examples. the list nat
urally includes the Duke OF Cornwall
and York, the Duke OF Connaught.
Prince Louis OF Battenberg and the
Duke OF Fife Then among reigning
monarchs there are the king OF the Bel.
sians Oscar ii, and King George OF
Greece. There are eourtiers like Lord
Darlington, soldiers and sailors like
Earl Roberts and Sir Michael Culme-
Seymour. diplomatists like Lord Cro-
mer. professional men like Sir William
MacCormac and so on
The rooms in the club are furnished
without any attempt at display You
enter narrow corridor which scarcely
deserves to be called a hall, and on the
right hand door leads into a lounge.
Behind this is delightful billiard room,
with a couple OF excellent tables and a
whole armory OF cues. Round two sides
OF the room is a raised bench, uphol-
stored in the finest green morocco leath-
er in the severely plain but comfortable
style which the king prefers. Above is
long, narrow dining room, which can
be made 10 seat 20 comfortably. al
though IL does not often happen that
there are more than so at table. and OF
these some are the guests OF members.
or all this the royal clubman made
use as unostentatiously as any pri-
vate member. and IL is because Of this
that he delighted to spend an hour or
two within the walls of the club toward
the end of the day whenever he was In
town. Upon going into a room the
members continued their occupation of
reading the newspaper or chatting with
one another or dozing comfortably be-
fore the fire. If the prince in his genial
way called out as he passed, How do
you do, A-?" or Good evening.
B." they would reply without leav-
Ing their seats, and most OF them were
on terms of sufficient intimacy to say
sir instead of your royal highness."
One or two of them, however, were sure
to be engaged in conversation by him
because he never went into the club
merely for the sake of Willing away an
hour over the newspaper.
The king greatly appreciated the free
dom from ceremony which this interest,"
ing club affords. There is nothing o.
the same kind anywhere in Europe, as
the foreign sovereigns admitted who at
rare intervals were taken there by him
to share leisure hour.
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