The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-03
CONSUELO CRASPSAT
VICE REGAL POWER
American Girl VIII Probably Sit
On Throne in the Castle
at Dublin.
Special Foreign Service.


Duke of Marlborough, having become
versed In the ways of diplomacy since
he entered the colonial office, is report
ed to have said that there wasn't any
truth in the statement recently pub
lished here that he had been selected
to succeed Lord Dudley as "sub-king
of Ireland. I am informed, however,
that the appointment has been definite
ly decided on and that it is likely to
be officially announced in the latter
part of April-thus gratifying the dear
est ambition of the duchess who, being
a Vanderbilt, never let's go till she gets
what she wants.
There is plenty of reason for the
duchess desire to be first lady of Ire
land. The position gives her royal pre-
cedence, entities her to be addressed as
your excellency, gives her a crown on
state occasions, and provides her with
an actual throne in an actual throne
room.
1t is no secret that at the coronation
festivities in India it came very hard
for the Vanderbilt Duchess of MARI
borough to bow the knee, literally, to
the Letter Baroness Curzon-dukes
being at the top of the peerage and
barons being at the bottom-to say
nothing of the fancied social superior
ity of a Vanderbilt over a Letter Yet
the thing had to be done, for the erst-
while Miss Letter was placed in queenly
rank by her husbands position as
vice-king of India, and mere duchesses
had to bend low before her. Even
prior to this difficult situation, it is
said, the Duchess of Marlborough had
made up her mind that she, too, would
acquire a vice-regal crown, have her
turn at playing queen, and go Lady
CurzOn one better-for the post of
ord-lieutenant of Ireland is the high
est in dignity and emolument under
the British crown. 1t is also one of
the most expensive and 1t is only per-
sons of unlimited incomes that can
maintain it with the tone and dignity
with which it is identified.
The 100000 salary would hardly
keep the establishment in plain sbread
and butter. Charity makes a large de-
mand on the resources Of the -Yiceroy..
atty. The descendants of the old
Irish and .Anglo-Norman nobility are
people of intense artistic tastes so
that art, literature and music have also
large claims upon the kings repre-
sentatives in Ireland. Sport, too, has
to be supported, and in good times
or bad the magnifcence of Dublin cas-
Tie 1QIlCl1OlS mas 10 De maintained.
Its balls, leVeeS and receptions are on
par with Buckingham palace, and her
excellency the lady lieutenant is ex-
pected to comport herself with the
dignity and gravity of a queen on state
occasions.
On presentation days-that is, when
lady members of the Irish aristocracy
are to be admitted to her exceIency's
preSence-She sits on richly furnish
ed gold chair surmounted by a canopy,
and on her head a crown. She puts
on her most digniffed smile while Miss
Mrs or Lady so-and-So Is introduced
by her excellency's lady-in- waiting
Each passes In front of the Irish queen,
and as they do so kiss her richly gem
med hand. This performance entities
the person so honored to be admitted
into the highest society In the king
dom. The names of such persons have
to be submitted weeks before SO that
their character and social station may
be carefully investigated.
During their terms of Office lord
l1eutenantS of Ireland are supreme in
all matters relating to government in
Ireland, and nothing but an act of
parliament can upset their judgments.
They can pardon criminals, save a
culprit from the scaffold in fact, pro-
coed very much as if they were real
kings instead of sub-kings. Even the
Duke of Connaught, the kings brother.
Is lower in the social scale than the
/ lord and lady lieutenant They have
precedence even of the Prince and
Princess of Wales as far as Ireland
is concerned.
Her excellency has a retinue of serv-
ants, ladies-in- waiting, ladies of the
bedchamber and so forth, just the same
| as Queen Alexandra, and they have
| exactly the same duties to perform.
| There is a chamberlain who performs
the same functions as the lord cham
berlain does for the king and queen,
on state occasions the lord and lady
| lieutenant wear robes identical to those
worn by the king and queen, the same
attitudes are struck and the same per-
formances gone through as if they were
playing the part at Buckingham pal
ace.
The Irish aristocracy are a great deal
more exacting in maintaining ancient
rites and ceremonies than the Eng
| lish and this is the reason that society
looks upon the job in Ireland as no
| Sinecure. The Duke Of Marlborough is
| said by those who know him Familiarity
to be not much of a cOurtier, but what
| he lacks in that way will be more than
| made up for by the taste the duchess
| has lately manifested for that sort of
| thing. The duke, therefore, like his
| late father, may leave the administra-
| ton of the Irish office to the duchess,
| and busy himself only with the sign
| ing of proclamations for the suppress
| sion of political agitation. The only
| thing is that there is hardly sufficient
work in that capacity for him to do
| at present. The country is suffering
from dead calm.
| In striking contrast to the brilliant
| surroundings Of Dublin castle is the
| dingy little lodge in Phoenix park
| where the duke and duchess will have
| to spend most of their time 1t is an
insult to the dignity of king and
| queen of Ireland to be asked to live
in such a place. Originally erected as
a keepers lodge, 1t has been added to
! and embelliShed at their own expense
! by successive lord lieutenants, includ-
| ing the renowned Lord Chesterfield.
Dublin castle is merely the seat of
| the government in Ireland and has
no domestic accommodations except for
| f1unkeys and castle servants. 1t has
! an interesting history, for around 1t
clings memories good and bad that are
| intimately associated with the history
of Ireland and England. as well as some
| of the most famous men of the past
and present generation. The military
police, the detective department and
the secret service have their headquar-
ters here. The castle is the symbol
| of British rule in Ireland. 1t will be
| the duty of the detective department
| referred to to provide protection for the
duke and duchess. just as Scotland