The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-06-19

London. June S-(Special)-Two mem bers of the diplomatic corps who nave loomed large In London society for number of years are soon to be trans ferred to other scenes of usefulness.
 It has long been an open secret that both the Marquis de Several. Portuguese amba ssador in this country, and count Mensdorff- Pouily. the head of the Aus trian embassy have been retained here for so many years merely because the late King Edward desired their presence. When King Manuel of Portugal ascended the throne of his murdered father it was generally understood that the presence of the Marquis de Several was earnest ly desired in Lisbon by the queen-mother; but the late king intervened and pressed for his retention in his country, ana III the end Queen Amelia acceded to ms re- quest Blue Monkey" as the marquis | is generally known in his circle, was | one of the most intimate friends of the late King Edward, and the two were
 well nigh inseparable companions | A similar state of things prevailed with
 regard to Count Mensdorff- Pouilly, but
 London is not likely to know him much
 longer. and in all probability new Aus |
 the end of the year.
 | It is not only in the diplomatic corps that great changes will follow in court | circles as result of King Eowaro death. What has been known as the | kings financial group will not have the high place in royal favor It held durlng the last reign This group the pr1ncipai members of which are Sir Ernest Cassei' MT Leopold de Rothschild. MT. Arthur T,tr as well liked by King George as they were by King Edward. King Edward cui- tivated the friendship of these and oth- CTS of a similar type to remarkable ex- tent. and found considerable pleasure Tn mixing with men of affairs and discuss ing high finance with them. King George is. however, cast in a different
 mould. and will select his friends rom | another circle.
 One man well known almost in Amer lea as in England, who stands hlgh Tn the esteem of the King Is Lord Charles
 Beresford His majesty is also great | adn,irer of Lord Kitchener It Is llkely these two men will be among the closest of King Georges personal encourage | Another who will now come into the | limelieht' will be Lord Revelstoke, the
 head of the famous financial firm of Bar
 ing Brothers He has for some years | past been one of the most intimate or
 King Georges friends, and. at his majes- tvs request, undertook a few years ago
 the reorganization of the financial admin ,stration of the Duchy of Cornwall, with the result that it's revenues have been al- | most doubled Since 1t Is highly neces-
 sary that the king of England should
 have some experienced man Of analrs al | his back to guide him upon intricate mat | ters of finance 1t must be source or rratification that there Is one so capable
 as Lord Revelstoke at the kings com
 mand
 | Neither the King nor the Queen have
 any very great liking for smart society,
 such as was to be seen at court during
 the late reign, of which the leading lady
 representatives may be said to have been Mrs willie James and Mrs. George
 Keppel Indeed, his majesty prefers peo- ple of rather more serious type about | hiu, so that this set will for the future not be nearly so much in evidence as has been the case during the past feW years. On the other hand, there Is propapiilty l that what has been described as tne
 intellectual set'' led by Mrs. Asquith and
 Lady Lytton. will come into favor. | Society Is awaiting developments with the keenest interest not to say apprehen- I
 | sion.
 | No royal lady of any time has been so intimately related to such a large num-
 Der of kings and queens as the queen
 Mother of Great Britain, who has been
 the recipient of worldwide sympathy in her great grief and sorrow. Her father
 and mother king and queen, her husband
 was a king, her nother-in-law was the late Queen Victoria, her son Is now King | of Great Britain, her daughter v queen | of Norway a sister was for some years rzar,na of Russia and is now Dowager
 Empress, one brother is King Of Den
 mark. another brother King of the Hell Ienes' one of her nephews Is Czar of Rus
 sia. and another nephew, who is also her
 son-in-law, Is King of Norway. while a
 third and fourth are destined to be King
 of Denmark and King of the Hellenes re-
 spectively.
 It is not generally known that the
 King of England has perhaps the most
 valuable collection of plate in the world.
 The so-called gold pantry at Windsor
 consists of two large nreproof store
 rooms in which is kept plate of sn esti-
 mated value of s. 75o,00O.
 The gold plate which is used for state banouets weighs over five tons. It Is | not. of course all solid If the larger
 pieces were gold they would be too heavy
 to move at all. Some of the epergnes I take four men to lift. These are of silver gilt. It takes one man to carry two I dishes or eight plates. The latter are of pure gold.
 Therc, Is not much ancient English plate 4the gold pantry. Charles melt .piss v.