The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-01
Y LA M,RaG1sE DE roNrENoY.
|, distress of the robes Is the
Nh highest Office TO which any wo-
Va man in the British Empire can

n distress of the robes is the
Ms highest Office TO which any wo-
lVi man in the British Empire can
aspire. But she must be Brit
ish- born and the daughter OF II peer
Moreover, it is required By old estab-
lished usage that she should be. q
duchess. 1t is an office that in this
new reign will be filed By the Young
Duchess of Devonshire. who is succeed
ing TO it on the retirement of her aunt.
the Duchess OF Bnccleuch. The latter
celebrated only the other day her gol-
den wedding. and having served both
Alexandra as mistress OF the robes.
feels that she should give way to
some younger woman. and has accord
ingly rendered her resignation.
In the days or Queen Victoria. there
was sometimes difficulty in securing
a duchess for the post of mistress OF
the robes, for, owing 10 the TACT OF
her being a Queen regrant, instead OF
merely a Queen cousort, II was neces-
sary that the mistress should belong to
the same political persuasion as the
administration in power, and then as
now, duchesses-especialiy duchesses
qualified by birth and by knowledge Of
court life for the post--Were rare IN
the ranks OF the Liberal party In the
case of Queen Alexandra and Queen
Mary. that is to say, Queens consort
change with the administration and
there is nothing TO prevent the Ouch
ess of Devonshirc from remaining 3,
the head of Queen Mary's household
throughout the. new reign.
The mistress of the robes exercises
powers equivalent to those OF grand
mistress of the court at st: Peters
burg. Berlin and Vienna. and to that
drid that is to say she is at the
head of the entire household of the
queen, having full authority over
the latter's ladies' in waiting and maids
to arrange the waits" that is to say.
the terms of attendance of the various
ladies of the Queen. and the latters
lord chamberlain, vce-chamberlain.
treasurer, private secretary and eauef-
~ are also under her orders. She hat
all sorts OF prerogatives and pefdui
sites. the latter including the robes OF
state worn by the Queen at tha5coro
nation. On that occasion only s a,1
other court functions and official cere-
monies stands either immediately By
the Queens side or else walks right
behind her. The salary is merely nom
inal, amounting 10 about $4,000 year.
and, of course, the mistress has GER
tain of the royal carriages and roya2
servants always at her disnosaL
Since Queen Anne's Time.
So far as can be ascertained. the Of
flee, as now constituted dates from the
reign of Queen Anne when II Was
held by Sarah. Duchess of Marlborough.
who, Is every reader OF English MS
tory knows. exercised the most extra
ordinary despotism. not to say tor
ism, over that monarch. urder Queen
Victoria the mistresses of the robes
were, in turn. the Duchess of Suther-
land, wife of the second duke: the late
Duchess of Buccleuch, the late Du.hers
of Atholl the late Duchess of Wei
lington, the late Duchess OF Argyll the
late Duchess of Bedford, the mother OF
the present Duke of Sutherland, and
the now Dowager Duchess of KoS-
burghe.
The new mistress of the robes that
is to say, the present Duchess OF DIV;
with the Dowager Duchess: is lust as
much Of a personal friend, of Qne,r
Mary as her aunt and predecessor IN