The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-26
.CRAND.DUKE OF
HESSE AN ACTOR
Appears in Private 1heatricals to
Entertain Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales.
ROYALTY AS PUBLIC SINGERS
Queen Of Spain Bored by "Cusl,-
ion Taking7-Many Notable
Weddings Of Society.

ny THE COUNTESS or BLANKsIIIRs.
LONDON. April 25.-The Grand Duke
of Hesse devised somewhat new form
of entertainment for the visit of the
Prince and Princess Of Wales to Darn
stadt. lie Is fond OF amateur theatre
calls and by no means an Indifferent ac-
tor. AID for weeks before the arrival
of his cousins Of England he was busy
rehearsing THE Drums OF Dude" a
rather creepy. though powerful, little
piece. first presented at the Playhouse
He himself took the part OF Captain
McGregor, the young Scotch officer. who
was about to blow up his sweetheart
and himself with the gunpowder stored
beneath his quarters, when. help ar
rived.
Darmstadt has not been much IA
vored OF recent years by members OF
the English royal family, but 1t was
the scene OF many notable gathering
II the lifetime Of Queen Victoria She
never visited the place after the mar
rage OF her son-in-law, the widowed
Grand Duke Of Hesse, in secret, on the
evening OF the day that had witnessed
the imposing nuptials Of his eldest
daughter to Prince Louis OF Battenberg
Since then the Duke by his general
good behavior has managed to have
himself restored to the good graces OF
the members OF the English royal fam
ily and to-day King Edward has no
better and flrmer friend in all Europe
than the grand duke.
Roynl Singers.
Prince Edward OF Wales ditty OF
John Peel" which he sang at this
mid-term concert at Osborne, recalls
the fact that his father. the Prince
OF Wales. was renowned during his
cadetship as frst-rate singer of hu-
morous songs. When he made his Ia
nous trip around the world on the
Bacchante. he appeared at almost
every concert given on shipboard One
of his most popular songs was "Cham-
payne Charlie and the secret OF It's
success was probably due to its roll
licking chorus.
King Edward has been known to
sing once. This was on the occasion
of wine" at Oxford. and he chose
the long forgotten ditty, Ever Of
Thee" One who was present says that
the her-apparent had most bolster
GUS hearing.
The late Duke OF Edinburgh did not
sing In public-although he OCCASION
ally sang some of Sullivan's music ut
the fiat OF the composer In Victoria
Street-but he had fine public repu-
tation as a violin player. The Prin-
cess OF Wales sings within her own
family circle. Queen Maud Of Norway
has voice of good quality. But the
finest royal vocalist is the Empress Of
Russia, who is trained singer. and
once sang in public on behalf OF a
Russian charity The Car. too. has no
mean voice, and were 1t not for the
troubles in Russia, he and the Empress
would make an enviable duet
Cushion Taking.
The Queen OF Spain recently held at
Madrid the Spanish court ceremony,
which is equivalent to English courts.
This is called cushion taking" a
quaint proceeding which. 1t is we'll
known, Her Majesty would like to al
ter il she could But tradition for
bids. The ceremony used TO be held by
taken lately to putting in an appear
ance at the gathering.
AS the ladies enter the presence
chamber each is presented with high
" ornamented cushion. All then stand
in row, while, in turn, each lady adj
vances to the throne on which Her
Majesty is sitting, and. placing the
cushion at the Queens feet, proceeds
to sit upon 1t. The Queen enters into
a brief conversation with each debu-
tante in Spanish. after which the lady
retires. carrying her cushion with her
This is trying ceremony for the
debutantes. because. save the one who
is in conversation with the Queen,
all the others have to remain stand
ing right through.
Society Weddings.
No fewer than 100 society weddings
are announced to take place during
the next few weeks.
The Queen and Princess Victoria
will probably attend the wedding Of
the Hon. Margaret Dawnay, maid Of
honor to Her Majesty, and the Rev.
Arthur Rowland Grant. which will be
at the Chapel Royal. ST. James.
Other notable weddings are those
OF the Hon. Godfrey Macdonald, son
Miss Helen Meyrick Bankes, which
took place to-day; Edward Ward.
Grenadier Guards, son of General Sir
Edward Ward. to Miss Lois Jefferson.
at the Guards Chapel; and Sir Lionel
Alexander, Grenadler Guards. to Miss
Cable, daughter of Sir Ernest Cable,
sheriff OF Calcutta, at Holy Trinity,
Tomorrow; Lord Richard Wellesley,
Grenadier Guards, son of the Duke OF
Wellington, and Miss Nesta Fitzgerald,
daughter of the Knight of Kerry and
Lady Fitzgerald, which will take place
on the 30th
Palmistry Absurd.
"Palmistry is an absolute absurdity.
The whole thing Is beneath contempt"
declared Professor Stirling, dean Of
the medical faculty and professor of
physiology at Victoria University,
Manchester. In the course of a lecture
at the Royal Institution the other
day.
Professor Stirling continued. Look
MR NJ =