Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-03-13

one of Queen Victoria's most intimate and
trusted friends.
1t is not surprising that the spectacle of
ballet-dancing earls and noble lords who
perform in farce-comedy should be dis
tasteful to man who can boast the de-
scent to which the Duke of Richmond
lays claim. Among the ancestors he
counts Charles II. and James l., of Scot
land; one of his ducal ancestors fought at
Culloden and his grandmother was the
Duchess of Richmond, who gave the
famous ball on the eve of the battle OF
Waterloo at which the dukes aunt,
Lady Louisa Tighe, was present.
The first Duke of Richmond was the son
of King Charles and Louise de Kerouaille,
the Frenchwoman who was Nell Gwyn's
bitter rival, and whom the king made
Duchess of Portsmouth. Louis XIV,
who sent her over for the express purpose
of winning his brother monarch, MADE
her Duchess d'Aubigny in the French
peerage. The royal blood of the Jameses
was brought into the Richmond famlly
by the marriage of the fourth duke OF
that name with Lady Charlotte GORDON
the giver of Waterloo ball, Tor she was
one of the four daughters of James Max
we'll the beautiful wifes of the DUKE Oh
Gordon. who traced his descent olrect
from the assassinated Scotch king.
The duchess was the worthy child OF
her clever mother, who succeeded In mar
rying three of her daughters TO dukeS-
those Of Bedford, Manchester ana hlch-
mond. When Lady Charlotte married the
fourth duke Of Richmond, then plain Lieu
tenant Colonel Charles Lennox, she ala SO
secretly, for Colonel Lennox was then un-
der a cloud through having come WITHIN
an ace of killing the duke of York IN a duel
on Wimbledon Common. The duchess was
a merry soul. and there were rare pranks
at her great house in Pail Mall, in when
the most famous men in the land IeiI
themselves not too dignified to take part.
William Pitt, the prime minister. was no
exception to this rule. One OF the ouch-
esss footmen, who. after retiring from
service" was so indiscreet as to write
book. related therein how Pitt, VINO was
a frequent visitor to the duchess, once
made him bring up the stairs ana an
nounce in the drawing room a Shetlano
pony. After parading the animal around
the room, to the great glee Of all the titled
folk. including the duchess, the prime
minister finished his joke by tying his
handkerchief to the bride and Leading
him down stairs with his own hand.
The present duke has been widower
for years. His only daughter, Lady caro-
line, however, is his constant companion.
His heir, Lord March, is a colonel in the
british army. and all of the latter's three
sons. now men grown, have been fighting
with the forces in South Africa. one OF
them has three children, making the duke
a great-grandfather.
The duke will be the oldest one of his
rank at the coming coronation, to which
he is looking forward eagerly, and in
which he intends to play the active part
to which his rank entities him., Next to
him in point of age viii come the Duke
of Rutland, who is ten months younger
than his Grace of Richmond, while the
Youngest wearer Of the strawberry leaves
will be the little Duke of Leinster. who is
just Is.
The King, when Prince OF Wales. used
to like to be invited to the Duke of Rich
mond's home for the Goodwood races, but
on one memorable occasion the invitation
was not forthcoming. The story goes
that among the list of desirable guests
sent as usual by the prince to his pro-
spective host was the name of lovely
woman who had the reputation of being
rather frisky. The duke said he wouldn
have her in the house. The prince is
said to have declared he wouldn't come
unless she was invited. Whereupon the
duke said the prince might stay away
and welcome There was hard feeling be-
tween them for several years, but peace
has been restored now. -