The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-24


London, Oct l3.-It cost about 5000. OK
a year 10 run Belvoir Castle, the mag
nifcent seat of the Duke Of Rutland, in
Leieestershire. The new duke. who sue.
ceeded to the title and estates only a
couple of months ago, has to pay SlS5, 90,
40 the treasury in the shape Of death and
succession duties By shutting up his
ancestral home for twelve months. the
new duke has figured it out. He viii be
able to save all that he has to shell out
10 the government and leave some margin
over TO pay the interest on the money.
which he may have tomorrow to meet
the exchequer's demand for spot cash
payment
So the fiat has gone forth, and for a
year this ancient abode OF lavish hos
pitaiity viii present barred doors and
shattered windows to the world Most Of
the hundred odd domestic retainers have
been dismissed or placed on board wages,
and caretakers have been put in charge
10 keep burglars at bay.
GFaRdest of English Castles.
OF all the famous castles within the
British isles there is none which can COM
pare with Belvoir pronounced Beever
both in point of grandeur and command
ing position. Built on a sharply rising
hill, in shape resembling gigantic
mound. il was for centuries one of the
strongest fortresses in the land Robert
de Todeni. stadardbearer to William the
Conqueror, selected il as the most appro-
pirate spot for the erection of a fastness
u keep the disaTeCted Saxons in check
Since those days the castle has been
thrice practically rebuilt. and can claim
the unique distinction Of being the only
pile in England which ras been. by un-
broken Inheritance, the seat of a noble
man siEcc the time Of the conquest.
The Manners family. of which the
Duke of Rutland is the head. acquired
Belvoir through the marriage Of Sir Rob
ert Manners. IN l&l. with the sister of
the tenth Lord Ros, of Hamlake. 10 whom
the castle mad descended from the Con-
querOrs standard bearer. Sir Roberts
son married a Plantageuet. sister OF Ed
ward ", and il was their son who be
came first Earl of Rutland. Princess
Ammo. who took refuge with the then Earl
OF Rutland when she fed from White
Fal repaid his hospitality by making him
a duke when she came 10 the throne
Kings and Queens Entertained.
Enlarged and improved by successive
occupants. Belvoir, while stiu retaining
the external aspect of fortress. has
been transformed into a veritable palace
within. The entrance nall. or guard
room as il is called was designed from
Lincoln Cathedral 1t is a vast apart
menL with tall columns and stone arches
Entrance is by giant portal. through
hich Queen Anne. James I. George ".
Queen Adelaide, Queen Victoria. and her
Prince COnsoTt and King Edward have
pissed. The walls Of this guard room
are covered with arms, ancient and mod
en- with historic uniforms and shields
and swords belonging To great scions Of
the family. Here is also a table pre-
scented TO the castle 10y Mary queen uf
Scots. On Al stone carved to represent
a table with tabIecloth reposes the punch
bowl of the family. It is solid silver.
holds . gallons. and is so big that four
OF the Manners children have been group
cd inside il and photographed
Immediately over The guard room are
the royal apartments OF three rooms
The Kings bed is deliberately carved in
mahogany Looking out over the bastion
is the famous Regents Gallery. which
IS ~ feet long The walls are covered
with tapestries, depicting the adventures
of Don Quixote and with old masters.
while busts and statues nil the recesses.
Steps lead from the gallery 70 the chapel.
where the altar piece is Murillo's Holy
Family" one of the world priceless pie
lures
The library is divided nowadays into
two rooms by "a glass partition. In the
larger room are 1.0o0 volumes and manu-
scripts belonging TO past centuries The
picture gallery. s. feet long by g. feet
high. contains fun length Of Henry
VIII painted by HOlbein and known as
the best picture in existence of the mon
arch. The Elzabethan salon is Il noble
apartment hfty-five feet long. It's walls
are Paneled in satin damask. and its fur
nlture once belonged 20 Nine de Main
tenon. Huge Hfe-size statues By Wyatt
are everywhere. but the most beautiful
is that of the fifth duchess of Portland
descending the clouds. which is the fed-
iure i'm the mausOleum.
The -AmbasSadOr'S Room.
A noted room is the ambassadors bed
room, where famous English and foreign
ambassadors and prime ministers have /
slept. Whenever the American ambas-
sador is invited 20 the castle he occupies /
This bedroom
Queen Victoria did not use the royal /
suite on her later visit TO the castle /
She had occupied IL with her consort and I
u brought back memories. She chose TO 1
i've in The Stanton Tower. the oldest /
part OF the castle. The lands and manor 4
of the Staunton held by the family of 4
StaunJous is theirs for centuries bv /
tenure Of the Castle Guard They are
required 10 furnish the guards at the cas- /
tie when called upon by the overload 4
When Victoria visited Belvoir the kew
of this tower was presented 10 her bv a 4
Stanton.
There are many other ancient usages
at Belvoir, the most notable being the
pacing Of the, battlements night and day
by sentinels, who call the hours and The
Weather