Evening star., 1905-08-20

Likewise, that she has almost as big q
| pull with her majesty as she has with
| the king. No one ever heard of the queens
| deputing certain other of the king 8
| friends to represent her at a smart bazaar.
| or making them stewardesses Of some of
| her most important benefactions to charity:
! but such marks Of royal favor have been
| bestowed on the Dowager Duchess OF Man
| chester times without number. And al
though the houses. outside those of roy
| atty, which the queen honors with her pres
| ence do not number dozen all told, King
| Edwards consort is frequently the guest Of
the dowager duchess.
Last summer when the duchess gave
| big dinner party at Egypt" the luxurious
| seaside house she has occupied for several
| years during the COwes season, both the
king and the queen were present, ana
| when the duchess entertains the king this
! fall at Braemar Castle, the historic Scotch
| seat adjoining Balmoral which she has just
taken for the grouse season. 1t Is more than
| likely that the queen will also be member
| of the party. It Is a fact that Alexandra Is
| seldom or never present at the famous
| "bridge parties which the duchess gives
80 frequently In London. especially Tor the
king, but that is merely because her mai
esty cares little for bridge and not over
and above fond Of some of the kings
pals" who by his desire, are always In
vited to these parties.
Regarding the potency of the pull which
the dowager duchess has with both the
king and queen there Is simply no ques-
ton. Those in position to know declare
that she could make the king do practically
anything 1t Is an open secret that it was
at the suggestion of Edward VII that Mrs.
Hartmann rented White Lodge the pic
turesaue mansion In Richmond Park to the
dowager duchess for the months or July
and August. This residence, which is crown
property, was formerly the home or the
present Princess of Wales and her mother.
the Duchess of Teck. and was handed over
to his friend, Mrs. Hartmann, by the KING
only year or so ago. 1t was because the
Duchess of Manchester wanted a place IN
which to entertain while moving from her
former town house in Portman square to
her new one In Grosvenor square that Mrs.
Hartmann, who was going on the conti-
nent, was aked to accommodate her in this
way.
Most persons will remember that both the
king and Queen Alexandra were present at
the christening of the present Duke Of Man
chester's little son and heir. and that the
queen stood godmother to him. This was
generally interpreted a great mark of
royal friendship to the young nobleman and
his American wife. but it really was nothing
OF the sort. 1t was done entirely to please
the dowager duchess. the queen herself
taking the Initiative and telegra phing to Of
fer herself as godmother as soon as sne
heard Of the interesting event. For the
queen are said to care not a particle. the
king regarding the duke as somewhat OF a
"duffer," and despIsing a man who cannot
keep his financial affairs out of the news
papers.
On the other hand. 1t is now asserted by
those Sin the know" that 1t was the dow
ager duchess who dissuaded the king from
making his long g-promised visit to kylemOre
Castle, the Manchesters seat. when he Wis
tied Ireland last year. The young duchess
of Manchester is not especially we'll liked
In the highest circles, and by her rather un-
gracious manner Is said to have incurred
the displeasure of her mother-in-law, who,
though notoriously generous by disposition,
Is a hard hitter when angry. And only
word from her was necessary to shatter all
her young daughter-in-law's dreams of roy
al patronage.
One naturally asks how this American
woman, rich. titled and attractive as she is.
managed to attain her present position; for
It takes a good deal more than these fairly
common advantages to gain for their pos
SCISSOR the personal friendship of the King
of England. To begin with, Consuelo
Duchess of Manchester is exactly the type
of woman that the king likes best-that is,
one who Is clever, who Is well-nformed.
and who talk we'll, The most beautiful
Of women has absolutely no attraction for
the king unless she is bright and can
other faculty which always has made hit
with King Edward-she is a perfect enter
tainer and never even considers the ques- ,
tion of expense In attaining the limit or
sumptuousness and luxury. or course, she
didn't get to be the kings best woman
friend without the exercise of uncommon
tact and good management. but she had
luck on her side, too. Hardly had she ar
rived In this country than she had the un-
usual good fortune to be championed in
public by the king himself.
This was in 1876, the former Miss YZnaga
of louisiana having been one of the first
American women of wealth to marry into
the English peerage. Oddly enough, 1t was !
at White Lodge, where she has so recently |
been entertaining him, that the duchess |
first met the king. The occasion was din |
ner party given by the Duchess Of Teck to |
meet "the fair American" as the duchess |
was then called. After dinner the conversa- |
ton was rather tactlessly allowed to turn |
on the relative merits of English and Amer !
lean society women, and some rather acrid |
things were said. j,
The king then Prince of Wales, was |
greatly annoyed, and as soon he got a !
chance, gave his hostess great dressing |
down for allowing the subject to be DIS |
cussed in view of the fact that the duchess |
was the only American woman present ana
a stranger at that, Later In the evening |
the heir apparent made point of apolo- !
gizing to the young duchess, for what he |
described as an outrageous breach of good |
manners and during the dance that follow |
ed he paid her marked attention. That was I
the beginning of a friendship which has few |
parallels in court annals, and which grows |
heartier as years go by.
Soon after. the Prince of Wales called on |
the duchess in the big house in Portman |
square which she has just given up. and re- |
ceived an uncommonly happy impression. /
The king Is not exactly artistic, but he