New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-01
QUEEN CARRIES THEDAY
Wig the Duchess of Buccleuch Is to
Remain Mistress of the Robes.

Queen Alexandra IS possessed OF a determine
ton with which few people save those WHO know
her intimately are disposed 20 credit her, and she
usually manages to get her way. Thus she has
just won quiet though signal victory over the
new Liberal administration When the new min
tsters came into Office few weeks ago they took
it for granted that the Duchess of Buccleuch,
whose husband is a great Tory leader, would. in
accordance with the custom that prevailed in the
threescore years of Queen Victorias
reign, resign her Office OF Mistress of the Robes
TO the Queen, which is the highest feminine dignity
at court and carries with it the control Of all Of
the Queens lades-in- waiting, and indeed of the
entire feminine portion Of the royal household. In
fact they were discussing among themselves to
which Liberal peeress they would nominate as sue
cessor to the Duchess when Queen Alexandra sud
denly, but very quietly, intImated that under no
circumstances would she part with the Duchess OF
Bueceuch. and that she Intended to retain her in
office as Mistress Of the Robes matter What ad-
ministration happened to De in power
Ihere were some who. receiving this news.
imagined that the so-calIed bed chamber question
which gave rise TO ministerial crisis in the third
year of Queen Vieterlas reign was about 10 re-oc-
cur. When Sir Robert Peel. in 1899. was summoned
to form Cabinet. he demanded that Victoria
should dismiss her Mistress OF the Robes and her
Iadles-in-waiting. who were all of them the wives
or sisters Of his most bitter political foes To this
lne queen refused to consent and Sir Robert Peel
ana MS cabinet thereupon rendered their resgua-
IONS FINALLY the matter was compromised by the
Duhe OF w ellington. who induced her to give way
by pointing out to her that the spirit If not the
letter Of the constitution required it, that in pre-
vlous reigns the lords-inwaitng and the chief dig
nitaries of the Kings household had changed with
each outgoing Cabinet. their successors being
nominated by the ministers, and that as Queen
Regnant she was much in the same position as her
uncles and grandfather had been and that under
the circumstances her principal Iadies-in-waiting
were anenable to the same rules as the male dig
nlIarles OF her predecessors on the throne 1t Is
difficult to any idea OF the bitterness excited
ny the controversy at the time. There were parties
for and against the Queen in the matter the ma
jority Of the public however. being disposed to
condemn this attempt to Peel the Queens bellies"
AN oLDTIAIE CONTROVERSY RECALLED.
When queen Alexandra however. was approached
the other day about the appointment OF a new
Mistress of the Robes in the place OF the Duchess
OF Buccieuch. she expressed herself in much the
same fashion as her mother-n-law. Queen Vic
terla' nearly seventy years ago. declaring that
she would not part with the duchess and on being
asked for her grounds for taking such stand In
the matter. she proceeded to point fact which
had until then been forgotten. namely. that she
was not a Queen Regnant. like her fllustrious
mother-in-law. but Queen Consort. and that
therefore the rules which had been invoked by Sir
Robert Peel in 1889 did not in any way apply to her
case Further consideration OF the case led to the
discovery that the Queen entirely right in the
question and, accordingly, the ministers Withdrew
their pretensions and left with the best grace
possible the victory to Queen Alexandra, for. al
though Lord Grey, IN the reign Of King William
". insisted upon Queen Adelaides dismissal Of
Lord Howe, who was her chamberlain, on the
ground Of his public demonstration of hostility to
the Reform bill, then before Parliament. yet the
Premier generally considered to have ex-
ceeded his authority, and 1t IS recognized that the
Cabinet has say In the appointment of the mem
bers of the household OF Queen Consert the
binding art hei hat ha-
ladies should be Of English birth. which % course
debars any American born peeress from ever being
appointed TO any position in connection with the
Queens court
ROYAL BLOOD IN THE DUKES VEINS
The Duchess Of Buecleuch is a very great lady.
enc OF the influential figures in English so
oiety is sister of the Duke Of Abercorn, of Lady
Lansdowne Of Lady George Hamilton and Of the
Duke Of MarIborough's mother, Lady Blandford.
and was Mistress Of the Robes to Queen Victoria
before being appointed to the same Office By Queen
Alexandra, who IS very fond OF her The duke.
VINO is not only Duke OF BuccIsuch, but also Duke
OF Queensberry. holds among other dignities. thar
Of captain general OF the Royal Company Of Arch
ers or sovereigns Body Guard in Scotland. and is
entitled. by Of his left-handed descent from
King Charles II. TO bear the royal arms of Eng
land, France. Scotland and ireland. debruised by
the bar sinister. On the distaf side he is descend
ed from Sir Walter Scott Of BHccleuch whose
abortve attempt to rescue King James V from the
prtsonlike control Of the Earl OF Angus forms
the theme of Sir Walter Scotts Lay Of the Last
Minstrel" It his descendant Ann Countess
Of BuccIeuCh in her own right the greatest heires5
of her time, who married King Charles II,s son by
Lucy Walters This son at the time bore the utle
of Duke Of Monmouth But his marriage he
assumed his wifes patronynlic of Scott. and was
created Duke of BuccIeuch. The duchess survived
her husbands death the scshold-he was con-
dArned for high treason in heading abortive IN
y: 57y,cIo ING e
nearly forty years and demise her grandson,
Francis Scott, succeeded her as second Duke OF
Buccleuch
One Of the reasons which led the Duke Of Mon
mouth and Of Buccleuch TO head the rebellion
against his uncle. King James IT, was that he was
convinced that his mother. Lucy Walters. had been
lawfully married King Charles. and that he the
duke therefore was his fathers legitimate instead
of his natural, and consequently invested with
the rights TO the succession TO his fathers crown
nror and superior to those of his uncle King James
II That there was justification for this BELIEF IS
shown by the fact that until about fifty years ago
there was preserved in the archives OF the house
OF BuccIeuch document affirming. under the hand
and seal of King Charles IL that he had been law
r,1Iv married TO Lucy walters, and that the III
Satad first Duke of BuccIeuch and of Monmouth
vas therefore his legitimate son and heir
CONSIGNED To THE FLAMES
THE late Duke of Buccleuch. loyal subject
- +he House of Hanover decided that this docu-
-nent ought to be turned over to Queen Victoria
-rbis v-as done, and the late Prince Consort con-
- ere nansr 70 the flames. OF course, If the
5ocDnoent had remained IN existence It would not
nave affected In any way the rights Of Queen
victoria or of king Edward to the throne OF Great
Rritsin Their respective succession thereto and
,ossessou thereof based on the so-oaled Act OK
se+,1ernent. passed by Parliament a5 years ago,
1bicb by a narrow majority OF one vote. cast by
Sir Hugh owen vested the throne of Great Britain
ond ireland in the Hanoverian descendants Of