Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-30
DUKE IS SNUBBED
Marlborough Finds No Seat at
Kings Banquet.
EATS CHOP AT INN NEARBY
As knight Of Garter Attended In
vestment of Manuel.
NOT INVITED TO CEREMONY
Followed Prescriptive Right to At
tent-Rebuke for Lack of
Chivalry Toward Wife.
NOT INVITED TO CEREMONY

LONDON. November 3O.-Coincident
with distinct and favorable change in
the attitude Of court circles toward the
Duchess of Marlborough, who was Con-
suelo Vanderbilt, the duke seems to be
correspondngly in the bad graces of
British royalty.
During the recent visit Of King Manuel
Of Portugal a snub was put upon him
at Windsor Castle itself which bore all
evidences of being deliberate.
Altogether the dukes lot, like that Of
Gilbert's policeman. is not entirely a
happy one. He made a contribution to
the budget debate in the house Of lords
| which is declared on all sides to be con-
spicuously the dullest and pi osiest speech
| delivered during the debate.
Even his denunciation Of David Lloyd
| George as "a demagogue from Wales
has been criticised as out Of keeping with
the high tone maintained by the other
speakers.
Snub Put Upon Marlborough.
The story is now told Of how he was
treated at Windsor Castle with indig-
nifty. which is distinctly CALLING to one of
| the proud Churchill blood. besides being
put to shifts for his dinner. The incident
| came about In this wise:
When King Manuel was invested as a
Knight of the Garter by King Edward
the Duke of Marlborough betook himself
to Windsor Castle for the ceremony. He
had received no invitation to do so. but
considered that. as he himself was a
knight Of the Garter he had a prescrip
tive right to attend the investiture of
a brother knight.
Nobody said him nay in this. He was
present at the ceremony.
1t was afterw7ard that his trouble be-
gan. All the other knights of the Gar
ter who had attended the investirure
were asked to. remain for dinner at the
castle. Not so Marlborough.
In fact, even If he was not bluntly in
sormed that King Edward did not desire
his company at the banquet, 1t was made
quite plain to him. No seat had been re-
served for him. Indeed. there was no
room for him at the festive board.
All the pride of all the Churchills. which
is notoriously one of the most conspicu
Gus assets of the family revolted at the
indignity. The feelings of the duke are
better imagined than described, as he
changed his Garter costume for ordinary
Castle off his shoes and finally went and
had solitary chop at a hotel outside the
castle gates.
Duke Rebuked for Lack of Chivalry.
Why this indignity should have been
put upon Marlborough is the cause of
much diverse speculation. The true cause
q said to be found in the unfortunate re-
lations between the duke and his Amert-
can duchess.
King Edward, as sovereign and as chief
of the Most Noble Order Of the Garter,
holds that the knights Of the order
should, at least outwardly, conform to the
principles of chivalry toward their ladies
which were inculcated by the founder,
the third Edward. Whatever their private
differences. their public acts should be
seemly.
In his opinion the estrangement be-
tween the Marlborough should not be
allowed to prevent their conforming with
official requirements and had the king
received an intimation that the duke
would be accompanied by the duchess at
the investiture of King Manuel invitations
would have been extended to both of
them to the banquet which followed the
ceremony.
AS it was, the duke had to eat a solitary
meal at Windsor inn after all the
trouble of changing In and out of his
Carter costume for the ceremony, which
lasted exactly seventeen minutes.